engineering

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IEEE-USA E-BOOKS

WOMEN IN

ENGINEERING COMPILATION VOLUME 3: BOOKS 9–12

BOOK 9: Recognizing and Taking Advantage Of Opportunities BOOK 10: My Three Journeys: Finding Professional and Personal Fulfillment as an Engineer BOOK 11: Quietly, Clearly and Authoritatively BOOK 12: It’s Not a Career Path – It’s an Obstacle Course!

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ISBN: 978-1-5090-0557-4 Copyright © 2016 by IEEE-USA. All rights reserved. Published and Hosted by IEEE-USA. Copying this material in any form is not permitted without prior written approval from IEEE-USA. Editing, Review, Production and Publishing by Georgia C. Stelluto, IEEE-USA Publishing Manager; Manager/Editor IEEE-USA E-BOOKS Cover design and layout by Spark Design This IEEE-USA publication is made possible through funding by a special dues assessment of IEEE members residing in the United States.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword BOOK 9: Recognizing and Taking Advantage Of Opportunities BOOK 10: My Three Journeys: Finding Professional and Personal Fulfillment as an Engineer BOOK 11: Quietly, Clearly and Authoritatively BOOK 12: It’s Not a Career Path—It’s an Obstacle Course!

WOMEN IN ENGINEERING: COMPILATION VOLUME 3: BOOKS 9–12

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FOREWORD

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s the 2016 IEEE-USA President-Elect, I have had the opportunity to meet many engineers who are women. (One of my first supervisors told me that the term, women engineers, is wrong, saying: “You don’t engineer women”…) I am also honored to give these engineers advice about their careers, when asked. The experiences of the engineers in, Women in Engineering Compilation—Volume 3: Books 9-12, are different from mine. Ten years ago, I retired from my position as an Electric Planning Engineer, after 29 years. I graduated from Iowa State University in 1977. I am a consultant now. That doesn’t mean that my advice is out-of-date. All of our career paths are individual—but also—the same. The women in these books explored opportunities and faced obstacles, and they had career decisions to make. Each of these engineers successfully maneuvered their career paths—turning those obstacles into opportunities. One of the issues that people don’t think about until faced with it is balancing their personal lives with their professional lives. Trying to do so can involve marriage, divorce, children and conflicting careers. Each woman in these books accomplished this balance in her own unique way. What is right for one person is not necessarily right for another. Yet, they all ultimately made the right decisions—both for their careers and their personal lives. We can learn from these inspiring stories, and use them in our own careers. Enjoy your read! Karen S. Pedersen, P.E. 2017 IEEE-USA President

WOMEN IN ENGINEERING: COMPILATION VOLUME 3: BOOKS 9–12

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IEEE-USA E-BOOKS

WOMEN IN

ENGINEERING

BOOK 9: RECOGNIZING AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES BY

JILL S. TIETJEN, P.E.

PANTONE SOLID COATED: RED 185C - BLUE 286C

Copyright © 2016 by IEEE-USA and by Jill S. Tietjen, P.E. All rights reserved. Published and Hosted by IEEE-USA. Copying this material in any form is not permitted without prior written approval from IEEE/ IEEE-USA. Final Editing, Review, Production and Publishing by Georgia C. Stelluto, IEEE-USA Publishing Manager Cover design and layout by Spark Design Author Liaison, Preliminary Editing, Helen Horwitz, Well-Chosen Words This IEEE-USA publication is made possible through funding by a special dues assessment of IEEE members residing in the United States.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Marriage and First Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Career Path .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Divorce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Just Do It! .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Taking Advantage of Opportunities . Books .

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Tietjen’s Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 About the Author .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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1

INTRODUCTION

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n January 2015, after more than 38 years in the electric utility industry, I became the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York. In this job, my primary responsibilities are raising money and building relationships with a broad spectrum of key audiences—from the local Chamber of Commerce to potential corporate donors. Although my new role may seem unrelated to my former engineering career, when I look back, I can see the path that got me here. This e-book tells my story through key experiences and life lessons. So far, my life has been a great odyssey—and there is so much more for me to do! —Jill S. Tietjen, P.E.

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CHOICES

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ntil I was about 39 years old, I didn’t fully realize I had choices to make in my life. At the time, I was in counseling—as my first husband had told me he was moving out, and I wanted to learn how not to repeat the same mistakes in a future relationship. I learned that every day I was faced with a myriad of choices! Life was much more complicated than I had previously believed. In fact, when I was a teenager thinking about my future, life seemed pretty clear to me: I would go to college, get a degree, meet and marry my husband, have children and a career, and live happily ever after. It didn’t exactly happen that way... Lesson Learned • Each of us has many choices to make daily. If you don’t make those

choices or decisions for yourself, someone else will make them for you.

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COLLEGE

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y parents expected all four of their children (I am the oldest, then my sister, then my two brothers) to go to college. Education was very important in my family; my mother was a college graduate, and my father received his Ph.D. shortly after I was born. Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s in Virginia, my parents also told us we would attend in-state institutions—so that they could afford to put all four of us through college. My first choice was the University of Virginia (UVa). Fortunately, by the time I was ready to apply, the university was accepting women as undergraduate students! The first undergraduate class that included women entered in the fall of 1970—under order of a U.S. District Court—in a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union. I entered UVa in the fall of 1972, the third year women were admitted as undergraduates, and the first year the university placed no ceiling on the number of women. Female professors were unheard of then, and the male professors had no experience dealing with women students. Because I have two brothers, I had learned long ago how to successfully coexist with men. This knowledge would also prove highly useful throughout my career, continuing through the present time. For many years, and in many situations throughout my career, I was the only woman—or one of two women. Having a sense of humor, being confident in my abilities, speaking up, enduring the constant haranguing—all were necessary skills for my life and career success. Moreover, they were rooted in my family and my upbringing. While growing up and thinking about my career choices, for a long time I wanted to be a nurse or a doctor. Later, through junior high and high school, I was completely intrigued by algebra, algebra II, and then calculus, but I didn’t care much for geometry or trigonometry. As for the sciences, I detested chemistry, didn’t really like biology, and didn’t take physics. In fact, when I speak to young people today—who think you have to LOVE all math and science to enter the engineering field—I firmly tell them that was not the case for me. In addition, I am a problem-solver. I began working jigsaw puzzles when I was two years old, and I still love them. I also like to work crossword puzzles. Now that you have this information, it’s probably not surprising that math rose to the top for me. I entered UVa as a mathematics major in the College of Arts and Sciences.

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After starting my first semester, I began examining the career options that would be open to me as a math major. Almost all appeared to require a Ph.D., and involved research or teaching—and none of these options interested me very much. What did interest me were the types of materials my friends in engineering were studying, and the kinds of projects they were working on in their classes. I like to solve problems—and I truly enjoy the resulting satisfaction and feedback. In addition, engineering wasn’t completely unfamiliar; my father was an engineer, most of his friends and colleagues were engineers, and I babysat for many of their kids. In fact, my father brought home a two-volume set of FORTRAN self-study books—that I actually completed when I was 16, while babysitting! So, despite the fact no one—not even my Ph.D., engineer father—had encouraged me, engineering appealed to me very much. Halfway through my freshman year, I decided to transfer. I met with the dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and I made all of the arrangements necessary to transfer at the beginning of my second year. At the time, it was pretty exciting to me that UVa’s engineering school had an applied mathematics program, and I could minor in electrical engineering. Little did I know then, the impact the decision of my major would have on my life—and my career. Lessons Learned • Keep your sense of humor around you always. • Make sure you speak up about your successes and capabilities. • Show confidence in your own abilities.

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MARRIAGE AND FIRST JOB

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met my first husband in college. He was a nuclear engineering major, which also turned out to be fateful in determining my career and life direction. We got engaged in our third year, going about the process of job interviews, and making our selection decisions, as logical thinkers would: If we could both get jobs in the same location, then we could get married. As it turned out, Duke Power Company—a major electric utility based in Charlotte, North Carolina—with nuclear, coal, oil, gas, hydro and pumped-storage hydro generating units, really wanted him. After I interviewed unsuccessfully for the first job opportunity the company’s Human Resources department had suggested, they identified an alternative opportunity for me. That one clicked: I would work in the System Planning Department. We moved to Charlotte, and we both began working at Duke Power. The System Planning Department was a great place to start my career. My primary responsibilities were in the generating planning area, and I performed two primary types of studies: production costing and capacity expansion. A production costing study simulates all the existing power plants under a variety of possible future conditions. For example, one type of study estimates the fuel budget for the coming year to determine how much coal, oil, natural gas, diesel and nuclear fuel will be required. A capacity expansion study creates projections of when future new power plants will be needed, how big they should be, and what fuel they should use. Besides actually creating the models for these two types of studies, I wrote the reports summarizing the results of these analyses for management. But while my husband-to-be was offered an engineering position, I was not. This was my first indication that my applied math degree was not accredited by ABET—the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, which sets the standards for engineering programs taught in institutions in the United States. The news that my degree was not accredited was a complete surprise to me. Ironically, many years later, I would serve as an ABET accreditor. As a result, I started work for Duke Power as a planning analyst, not a planning engineer, with no difference in responsibilities—but for less pay. I was informed that once I had been certified as an Engineer in Training (EIT), they would give me a different title, and adjust my salary upwards. In April

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1976, I had taken the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, the national test prepared by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying—the first of two tests in the engineering licensure process—and I started work at Duke Power two months later. That summer, I received a letter from the Commonwealth of Virginia saying I had passed the exam, but would need to demonstrate two years of progressive engineering experience, before they would issue me the certificate! This entire experience galvanized me to ensure that young people—particularly young women—who pursue an engineering education take special care to ensure their institution is ABET-accredited. This goal was a prime motivation for me to join the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), because one of its primary focuses is to encourage young women to pursue an engineering education. As it happens, I found SWE because of an opportunity Duke Power presented to me. My employer had asked me to do on-campus recruiting for them; and on one of my visits to North Carolina State University, I discovered SWE at a student job fair. I was delighted to find this organization! When I was at UVa, there hadn’t been a SWE collegiate section—probably because there were so few women in its engineering programs—not to mention lack of knowledge about the organization. In fact, the UVa section of SWE wasn’t established until a few years, after I graduated. But it now looked like, and turned out to be, the perfect organization for me. I joined immediately, but didn’t really become active—due to logistics and location—until 1981, when I moved to Denver. Over the years, SWE has become a second family for me, for which I am forever grateful. Discovering SWE, and for many other reasons, working at Duke Power Company was a great experience. My boss, Bruce Andersen, and his boss, Bill Reinke, were my first two professional mentors. They made sure I got plenty of on-the-job training, endorsed my decision to get my MBA at night (which Duke Power paid for), and supported my many extracurricular activities. In addition, Bill recognized my speaking abilities. And he encouraged me to take the training, and participate as a member of Duke Power’s Speakers Bureau. In this role, I represented Duke Power in the community, talking about different aspects of company operations—typically nuclear power, or energy efficiency. The training and speaking experiences have been important personal building blocks, all key to my future life and career. I was also fortunate that my planning responsibilities at Duke Power, and the subsequent work I did for 38 years, suited me so well. I enjoyed gathering the data, putting it in the format required for the IBM punch cards (back in

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the day), and running the simulation models. I met people from all over the company to get the needed information, and I learned so much. Knowing the value of the service the industry provided, I got tremendous satisfaction from being in the electricity business. Our entire economy, and our quality of life and living standards, depend on the availability of economical, reliable electricity. I still get a thrill watching the night lights come up, or flying at night over a metropolitan area, knowing I have spent my life contributing in some small way to what most of us now view as a life necessity. Lessons Learned • If you don’t succeed the first time, keep trying until you accomplish

your goal.

• Take advantage of the opportunities an employer offers you, because

they can be life-changing.

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CAREER PATH

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y father was the primary role model for my career. After graduating from college, he joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the predecessor organization of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. And 46 years later, he retired. By the time I entered the work force, however, the working world had changed greatly. Companies now went bankrupt, were acquired, or simply went out of business. And my aspirations and motivations were much different from his. After about four years at Duke Power, the young, idealistic outlooks of my then-husband and me made us start looking for other opportunities. We both were hungering for advancement into management. It took us over a year to find new positions, but we were persistent and determined. In 1981, Mobil Oil Corporation’s Mining and Coal Division in Denver made me an offer, and ARCO Coal Corporation offered one to him. We had two weeks to make this huge decision to leave Duke Power and North Carolina, and move to Colorado. The prospect of moving from Charlotte and the Southeast where I had been born and had grown up had now become a real possibility. This risk was big—selling our house, moving away from family, and going to a place that we had only visited—to make our new home. For two weeks, we were both torn, as we struggled with the decision. But when I spoke to Bill Reinke, who had been one of my mentors, he memorably told me, “If the circus comes to town—and you have always wanted to join the circus—if you don’t join it, you will regret it for the rest of your life.” We both joined the circus. Even the tornado that touched down near downtown Denver the week before we moved didn’t stop us. In 1984, after three years of intense learning about the worldwide coal industry, I left Mobil’s Mining and Coal Division to join another company. At Mobil, I had survived three layoffs beginning in 1982, only a year after I had started. And it was obvious I would not survive the fourth layoff, as I did not have seniority. I left before Mobil had a chance to lay me off. An ad in The Wall Street Journal seeking an engineer with an MBA and work experience in the electric utility industry seemed a perfect match. And so began my consulting career with Stone & Webster Management Consultants (SWMCI). I combined my knowledge as a utility planner, with my knowledge

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of the coal industry, to consult with electric utilities around the country. I advised them about their power plant selection decision; supported those decisions; and at times, provided written and oral testimony, as part of that support. It was exciting, interesting and meaningful work, and I stayed at SWMCI for eight years before joining another firm in the same industry, doing the same kind of work. In 1995, after three years with the second firm, and a 46-mile commute each way, I returned to SWMCI as an assistant vice president—responsible for the Denver office. As my career progressed, I no longer ran the models myself, but I would use the information gathered from the model results to write reports, and for testimony to be filed with state public utility commissions, federal regulatory bodies, and the like. The reports and testimony generally described the analysis that had been performed, the results and the rationale for the decisions that ensued. For example, I testified in Maine about the analysis and results associated with the decision to build a new hydroelectric power plant. In Wyoming, South Dakota and Colorado, I testified about the decisions to build a number of coal-fired and natural gas power plants. The process involved overseeing the analysis; writing the report; writing direct testimony; on some occasions, writing rebuttal testimony; answering data requests; and then, taking the stand and responding to cross-examination questions. This experience was a fantastic opportunity, because I developed my strategic thinking, critical reasoning and extemporaneous speaking skills. Each time, before I testified, I was able to examine and understand the other side’s arguments—and learn how to respond when I answered questions. I also learned how to handle hostile questions, and to organize my thoughts before replying. How well those skills continue to serve me! While working at SWMCI, I often collaborated on projects with a colleague who had many ideas for IEEE papers. I had both the skills to write them, and the technical knowledge to collaborate with him—so I joined IEEE to be able to write and present papers on technical topics—related to the planning work we were doing in the electric utility industry. I became more involved with the organization later, when I represented the power industry on the Editorial Board of IEEE Spectrum. I also represented IEEE as an ABET program evaluator for some years; have been a member of IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE), even longer; and have belonged to the IEEE Power and Energy Society, since joining IEEE.

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In the mid-1990s, two experiences changed my world. First, my divorce in 1994 caused me to reevaluate all the basic assumptions in my life. Then, in September 1995, an astounding volunteer experience began with Leadership Denver, a year-long civic program that helps business, government and local leaders sharpen their skills through voluntary civic responsibility. Although I had believed I was an extraordinary volunteer, I met many others who met or exceeded my activity level. I learned about community trusteeship and servant leadership, and I began to see how important it was to give back in all areas. I also began to question what direction my career should take. In 1997, an opportunity presented itself: The position of Director of the Women in Engineering Program (WIEP) at the University of Colorado at Boulder became available. I decided to apply for it, because after all the years I had devoted to the Society of Women Engineers, I wanted to see if my avocation could really become my vocation. When they offered me the job, I happily accepted. My timing was good, as SWMCI subsequently went bankrupt in 2000. Obviously, it’s vital to keep your ear to the ground, and be continuously aware of what other job options may be available for you. Sometimes, you must leave before that choice is made for you. My years at the University of Colorado at Boulder were valuable. Although the College of Engineering and Applied Science funded portions of the WIEP, I still had to raise a significant portion of my annual operating budget. I needed to determine the programming as well, which included recruitment, outreach and retention. In effect, what I was doing was running my own business—and I was successful at it! That experience gave me the confidence to go out on my own in 2001. But I did need to prepare my mother, who was a Depression-era baby; she felt the only secure job was working for the government. In fact, she had called me the Sunday before I started at CU-Boulder (and after I had been in the work force for 21 years!) to wish me good luck. And she called me the Saturday after the first week, to find out how it was going. My mother was happy, because I finally had what she viewed as job security! Thus, it was very important for me to inform her of my decision to leave CU-Boulder, to start my own business. She needed time to adjust to the news. Actually, I had told her my intentions two years earlier, when I explained I would eventually go out on my own. At the time, she was aghast! How could I possibly leave the security of a government job? How would I support myself? What would happen to my benefits, especially

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health care? I assured her that everything would work out okay. And work out okay, it did! Lessons Learned • Always be aware of your value in the job market. Keep your resume

updated, and your eyes and ears open.

• Don’t be afraid to try new directions and new opportunities.

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DIVORCE

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ntil 1994, much of what I did, and the choices I made, were what I classify as “unconscious.” Then, my first husband said he was moving out. I immediately went into counseling—in an effort to learn who I was, the choices I had, and the decisions I could make. I also read a great deal, including a book that helped me enormously to understand myself, and what really mattered to me. Among other things, First Things First, by Stephen Covey and Roger and Rebecca Merrill, emphasized the importance of developing a personal mission statement. This was the first time I had even considered such a concept, and it turned out to be very powerful. Just as organizations need a written mission statement to help guide them with making decisions and taking actions, people do, too. My personal mission statement provided me with a blueprint—the actions I could take that would be compatible with who I was, and what I wanted to do, along with what actions would be incompatible. Let me provide one specific example that happened about 10 years later. I had nominated audiologist Marion Downs to the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, and was at a reception at the hearing center named in her honor. After I mentioned we had just received word that Marion Downs would be inducted, several of the center’s board members asked me to consider joining the board. I refused, because I was not in the medical profession, had no knowledge or exposure to audiology and—although unsaid—it was not an area of interest for me. But even more importantly, it was not compatible with my personal mission statement. I was so proud of myself for saying no! In the years since writing my first personal mission statement, it has changed—but it always helps me point myself in the right direction—and take steps that are consistent with that mission. By the way, I met my second husband the Saturday night after my first husband moved out (on our 18th wedding anniversary). Really. Lessons Learned • Developing and maintaining a personal mission statement will provide an

important guide for how to live your life with purpose and satisfaction.

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• Counseling can be incredibly beneficial. • When one door closes in your life, another *will* open.

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JUST DO IT!

I

am an activator, analyzer, achiever, strategist and learner. These are five of the 32 character traits explained in the Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton book, Now, Discover Your Strengths. After describing all 32 possible character traits, the book provides a test that allows the reader to determine the five traits that are most descriptive of her or him. Give me a project, and I will do it. In fact, I will do it NOW! I thrive on deadlines, and I take great satisfaction in checking things off my to-do list. Taking action and getting things done have led to my reputation for reliability and commitment. You know the saying: Give a project to a busy person, because it will get done. Yes, I am that kind of busy person. For many years, I gave a talk on the keys to personal or leadership success. The first key was that old Nike slogan: Just Do It! So many people procrastinate, or worry that their efforts or their results might not be perfect. I inherently know to take that first step. Look before you leap, for sure; but then, Just Do It! Lesson Learned

• Develop a reputation for being reliable, and following through on

your commitments.

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TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES

A

s I look back on my life thus far, I can see that almost every turn was the result of taking advantage of an opportunity—even when I didn’t recognize that I was being presented with one! Thomas Edison said it best: “Opportunity is missed by most people, because it is dressed in overalls, and looks like work.” Little did I know that a Society of Women Engineers outreach program—an essay contest about great women in engineering and science that was created for sixth grade students in Colorado and Wyoming—would change the direction of my life. In 1987, my friend Alexis Swoboda attended the SWE National Convention in Kansas City, and she returned to Denver with the program idea. Alexis thought we should implement it—an essay contest encouraging young girls to research an historical woman scientist or engineer, become familiar with her accomplishments, and then write about her. The objective was to open up girls’ eyes and minds to technical careers, by demonstrating women who have excelled in technology. The first SWE essay contest was in 1988 in Denver, and as I write this e-book in 2015, it is still a successful program. Through it, students and their teachers discover the accomplishments and contributions of technical women they otherwise never would have known about. Also in 1988, SWE elected me to its national Board of Directors. At my first board meeting, the president held up the nomination forms for the National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology, and asked for a volunteer to submit nominations. With 17 board members in that room, no one offered. But I was equipped then, and some would argue still, with an auto-volunteer arm, and I raised my hand. My first nominations were not successful, but Alexis and I were continuing to do research for the essay contest. I realized that Admiral Grace Murray Hopper was the caliber of person who merited the National Medal of Technology. I worked on that nomination for two years; and in 1991, shortly before her death on 1 January 1992, she was selected. Admiral Hopper was also my first successful nominee to the National Women’s Hall of Fame. “Amazing Grace,” as many called her, was a gifted, trailblazing woman. She developed the computer compiler, the software that

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makes it possible for us to talk to computers in our language; and translates English, Spanish, French, German, Swahili, Japanese, Chinese, or any other human language into the zeros and ones a computer understands. Hopper also developed Flo-Matic, the first English-based computer language, and was instrumental in the development of COBOL, an early business computer language. She enjoyed teaching young people about computers. And, she loved taking credit for finding the first computer bug—a moth, stuck in the relays of a computer at Harvard... In 1994, the National Women’s Hall of Fame inducted Admiral Hopper posthumously. Her family asked me to accept on her behalf, which I did. It was inspirational to see and learn about all the other women who were inducted at that ceremony—a life-changing experience for me. Since then, I have attended every induction—and now I am the Chief Executive Officer of the National Women’s Hall of Fame! Who could have predicted that an opportunity presented by an essay contest would lead to two visits to the White House, multiple books—and a full-time job?! Lesson Learned • Even if they look like a lot of work, take advantage of opportunities when

they present themselves. You never know where they will lead!

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BOOKS

T

hroughout my school years, I really enjoyed English. I loved to diagram sentences—and I especially enjoyed writing term papers, which seemed like jigsaw puzzles to me. After all, you research the information and then put the pieces together. If something is missing, you do more research. Then, once all the pieces are together, voila! There’s your term paper! That was exactly the preparation I needed for writing books.

The first opportunity came my way when SWE circulated a call for contributing authors from the Mathematical Association of America. I thought it would be fun to challenge myself developing material for middle-school students about the electrical utility industry, which I have so loved throughout my career. As a contributing author for She Does Math!, published in 1995, I created mathematical and scientific problems for kids relating to my electric utility experience, along with the solutions to the problems. The problems I devised included creating a pie chart of percentages of the variety of fuel sources, using percentages to determine when new power plants were required; and calculating the cheapest fuel cost supplier, among other topics. Also in 1995, SWE headquarters forwarded a letter to me from Betty Reynolds. She was researching a book that she planned to write on the women’s rights movement; and women’s entry into the non-traditional professions of law, medicine, accounting and engineering. She needed more information on women in engineering. I responded, providing her with what she needed. Then, in 1998, Betty wrote me directly to request more information for the book she was still researching. Since we were both in Denver, we met. Eventually, I became her co-author and we found a publisher who strongly believed our project was more than one book. Three books in, the Setting the Record Straight series was published, all of which I wrote. The first volume is an overview of the women’s rights movement and women’s entry into non-traditional professions; the other two are histories of women in engineering, and women in accounting. In early 2015, I revised the book about the history of women in engineering—under direct contract to Springer, a major German publishing company. The contract was the result of following an opportunity that was a lot of work, but ultimately morphed into something bigger.

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The next opportunity for me to contribute to a book came about thanks to my friend Sandra Scanlon. After she sent me a call for articles for the Encyclopedia of Energy Engineering, I volunteered to write three of them. Why? Remember, I am a learner—I like to find out about new things. In addition, I like the challenge of putting the information together. It is also a service to the industry. And finally, I do like to see my name in print, as the author! As a result of this opportunity, and I assure you it was a lot of work, I was asked to prepare a follow-up article for a sister encyclopedia, based on one of those three articles. This follow-up article led to the contract with Springer to update my book on the history of women in engineering. The next book I co-wrote was an introduction to engineering for first-year, university engineering students. In 1999, my friend Kristy Schloss told me about an editor and publisher with Prentice Hall, who wanted a volume for their Keys to Success series. Over an enjoyable lunch with them, we discussed how we might develop Keys to Engineering Success—and with every objection we made (and we were not negotiating), the amount of the advance increased! We agreed to write the book—and after much effort, Keys to Engineering Success was published in 2001. My fifth book was the greatest effort—and I’m pleased to say, greatest success, to date. It began in 2002, when I had the opportunity to be on a panel of women in technology during a Colorado gubernatorial campaign. Afterward, a woman introduced herself to me, and said I needed to meet her friend Charlotte Waisman. During lunch with Charlotte, she proclaimed, “We’re going to write a book together.” It took us five years of intense work, including learning the ropes about book agents, book design, and much more; but in 2008, HarperCollins published the now best-selling and award-winning Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America. It is an illustrated volume that profiles the more than 850 women whose lives and contributions have influenced the nation’s history. The book has received the History Award Medal from the Daughters of the American Revolution, and it has appeared many times on bestseller lists. The paperback was published in 2013. This IEEE-USA e-book is also the result of an opportunity. As CEO of the National Women’s Hall of Fame, I had the idea of developing e-books that would include vignettes of women in the Hall by topic area—for example: aviators, Nobel Laureates and engineers. After I contacted IEEE-USA for advice, not only was the advice provided, but I was also invited to write this e-book—and I made new friends along the way.

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Lesson Learned • The hard work associated with an opportunity can lead to amazing

results—and more opportunities.

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TIETJEN’S TIPS

T

here’s much more to say about having a successful career, whether in engineering, or any other field. The following pages offer my perspectives on several more critical steps for success.

Overcoming Obstacles Over the course of our lives and careers, each of us must face adversity. Some of it is personal, such as the loss of family members, or a divorce or tragedy within your family, or circle of friends. Other adversity relates to your job and career—such as being laid off, not getting the promotion or assignment you wanted, or the sale or closing of your company or division. How do I deal with adversity? One step at a time, putting one foot in front of the other—and I keep on keepin’ on. I also identify the worst result I think could happen in a given situation, identify the possible courses of action, and then I evaluate them. Interestingly, the worst case almost never happens—and I have mentally prepared for a very wide range of potential outcomes. This analysis gives me that confidence to face whatever obstacles may come my way. Like everyone else, I have had to overcome obstacles. Here are just two examples: Less than a year after my first husband and I married, moved to Charlotte and started work at Duke Power, his parents died. Now, we had his two brothers, ages 14 and 18, to raise—and we were both just 22 ourselves. We worked, went to graduate school, and finished bringing up two boys. We got them through high school, saw both of them graduate from college, and one from law school. How did we do it? One day at a time, never feeling sorry for ourselves, knowing we were doing the absolute best job that we could. I was unable to have children. After extensive infertility treatment and investigation into adoption possibilities, we decided to remain childless. Today, I can say that while I was unable to have children, I gave and give birth to books! This alternative is the proverbial making lemonade out of lemons.

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Networking for Success Since 1988, every job opportunity, most speaking engagements, and almost everything else in my life has happened through networking. I believe you need to meet as many people as you can, and develop relationships with them. They may be able to help you in the future, and you may be able to help them as well. Here’s an example: In 1988, I was boarding a flight from Denver to New York, when I spotted Mike, the president of a firm that had been involved with a project I had worked on. He was in first class, and on my way back to the economy section, I said hello. When we landed in New York, he was waiting for me, and we shared a taxi into Manhattan. This new contact pleased me, because two of my co-workers were being laid off, and I was scouting employment opportunities for them. What I didn’t realize was that Mike was interviewing me; several years later, I went to work for him at his company! My corporate board seats also resulted from networking. Corporate boards bring in outside directors, because their backgrounds and areas of expertise can help provide guidance and direction. Board meetings are scheduled periodically, in my case either quarterly, or every other month; and after reports are presented on issues regarding the company’s business and financial situation, strategic issues are discussed. My first corporate board seat resulted from networking that started in 1991. At the time, I was president of the Society of Women Engineers, and had been asked to help plan and be a panel moderator for a conference involving women on boards of water, electric, gas and telecommunications utilities, and women in senior management positions in firms that provided services to those industries. At that conference, I met and bonded for life with an attorney from Washington, D.C. She told me a story that had me laughing hard about an injured shoulder, a little black dress with a zipper in the back, and a terry bathrobe. But she apparently saw something more in me than someone who laughed at her stories, because she recommended me for the Georgia Transmission Corporation’s Board of Directors. In 1997, I was first elected to that board; and in 2015, I was elected to another three-year term. Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC) is an electric utility based in Tucker, Georgia; and it builds transmission facilities for its members— 38 rural electric cooperatives throughout the state. In 2015, GTC has more than $2 billion in assets, primarily transmission lines and substations.

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My path to another board—Merrick & Company, a Denver-area engineering firm—also involved networking, and what I like to describe as auditions. I say auditions, because that’s what it took before the top executive seemed comfortable enough with me to recommend me as a candidate in 2010. Over the previous nine years, I had provided briefings on topics of which I had expert knowledge, and I also spoke to employee groups. As I write this e-book in 2015, I am vice chair of the Merrick & Company Board of Directors. Saying Yes—and When to Say No When my second husband and I were dating, he asked me if I wanted to go to a movie. I said no, to which he said okay. I was incredulous: Why weren’t we going to the movie? Then I realized what was happening: Whenever my mother had asked my father to do something, whether to see a play, a movie or attend a concert, he had always said no—and they always went. Thus, my first reaction based on my upbringing was to say no. I had to learn when to say yes, when to say no, and how to mean each one. “Yes” can be very empowering, but if we don’t have boundaries, a situation that I continually have to deal with and work through, we overcommit—always saying yes. That said, saying yes can also be very important. I didn’t apply to be the Chief Executive Officer of the National Women’s Hall of Fame. I was president of the Board of Directors, a volunteer position, and the board had undertaken an active CEO search. But for many reasons, the candidates didn’t work out, and the personnel committee unanimously selected me. Unlike the two weeks I needed to decide to accept Mobil’s offer, and move to Denver from Charlotte, this decision took me less than 24 hours. I needed to say yes to this offer! The primary responsibilities for me as CEO of the National Women’s Hall of Fame are to raise money and build relationships. The Hall is undertaking the rehabilitation of the Seneca Knitting Mill to transform it into the Center for Great Women. When completed, it will house the Hall’s museum, as well as its administrative offices, and a conference center. The total effort will require about $25 million. In addition, the business model needs to be overhauled—because we will need to raise money continuously. Passion, Determination and Persistence Someone asked me what I saw as the common characteristics for the more than 850 women profiled in my book, Her Story: A Timeline of the Women

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Who Changed America. I answered, “Passion, determination and persistence.” These critical personal characteristics will help anyone became a success in her life. Passion means the drive to do something. You don’t just want to do something—you have to do it—it drives you. Determination means you do it—in spite of. For the women in Her Story, it was in spite of: “Women don’t do that,” “A woman has never done that,” or “Women can’t do that.” As for persistence, it means that you keep on trying. Thomas Edison didn’t invent the incandescent light bulb on the first attempt, or the fifth attempt, or the five hundredth attempt. He didn’t let problems stop him; he persisted until he got the result he wanted. It’s Never “Not My Job” I used to be in the consulting business. We had reports to deliver, proposals to write, and deadlines to meet. Always. Back before email, we printed these documents, bound them, and often sent them by overnight delivery. The deadline neared, the panic escalated, and I pitched in to do whatever needed to be done. I never understood my co-workers who said, “It’s not my job.” If copies had to be made, it was my job. Or punching, or binding, or delivering the package of reports or proposals to FedEx. It all needed to be done. With a small staff at the National Women’s Hall of Fame, I shovel the front walk and empty the trashcans. Success comes about when you recognize that anything might be your job, and all tasks must be completed—for your team and your organization to be a success. Making the Most of Being a Volunteer I recently interviewed a candidate for a corporate board seat at Merrick & Company. During our discussion, I commented about the skills I had gained from my volunteer activities—I even have a talk I used to give on that topic. Skill development was a significant unanticipated benefit of all my volunteer activities. These skills transcend organizational boundaries, and are worthwhile and necessary—across all facets of my life and career. They range from strategic planning and budgeting to persuading and motivating colleagues. I learned to raise funds, write proposals, plan events, develop meeting agendas, run efficient meetings, and listen to and encourage other people’s ideas and suggestions. Every one of these skills transferred directly from volunteer work to the professional arena.

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Don’t Forget Your Coterie A “coterie” is an intimate, and often exclusive, group of persons with a unifying common interest, or purpose. My coterie starts with my SWE friends—we are women who support each other—without question. I have other friends as well. Women need friends. Friends are important; they are there for you in the good and bad times. To tell you when you are making a mistake (if you have the good sense to listen). To congratulate you upon your successes. To serve as a sounding board. There are no substitutes for true friends.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J

ill S. Tietjen, P.E., is an IEEE Senior Member, and the Chief Executive Officer of the National Women’s Hall of Fame. A past president of the Society of Women Engineers, Tietjen is also a SWE Life Member, Fellow, and the recipient of the organization’s Distinguished Service Award. A graduate of the University of Virginia (Tau Beta Pi, Virginia Alpha) in applied mathematics, with a minor in electrical engineering, she received her MBA from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Tietjen began her career at Duke Power Company. She has also held positions with Mobil Oil Corporation’s Mining and Coal Division, Stone & Webster Management Consultants, RCG/Hagler Bailly, and the University of Colorado at Boulder; and she has headed her own consulting business, Technically Speaking. A professional engineer in Colorado, Tietjen serves on two corporate boards: Georgia Transmission Corporation of Tucker, Georgia; and Merrick & Company (of which she is vice chair) of Greenwood Village, Colorado. She has served on numerous non-profit boards, has been a member of the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission, and she has served as Western Zone vice president for the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. Tietjen has received many awards, including induction into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame. She can be reached at [email protected]

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2001 L Street, NW, Suite 700 • Washington, D.C. 20036-4928 +1 202 785 0017 • www.ieeeusa.org www.ieeeusa.org/communications/ebooks

IEEE-USA E-BOOKS

WOMEN IN

ENGINEERING BOOK 10: MY THREE JOURNEYS: FINDING PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL FULFILLMENT AS AN ENGINEER BY

JEEWIKA RANAWEERA, PH.D.

PANTONE SOLID COATED: RED 185C - BLUE 286C

Copyright © 2016 by IEEE-USA and by Jeewika Ranaweera, Ph.D. All rights reserved. Published and Hosted by IEEE-USA. Copying this material in any form is not permitted without prior written approval from IEEE/ IEEE-USA. Final Editing, Review, Production and Publishing by Georgia C. Stelluto, IEEE-USA Publishing Manager Cover design and layout by Spark Design Author Liaison, Preliminary Editing, Helen Horwitz, Well-Chosen Words This IEEE-USA publication is made possible through funding by a special dues assessment of IEEE members residing in the United States.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Sri Lanka: Early Traits of an Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Cuba: Six Years of Growth .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Canada: Graduate School, Marriage and Motherhood .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7

12

Silicon Valley: Life as a Woman Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 About the Author .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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1

INTRODUCTION

I

magine having both the passion to make a difference in this world, and the technical knowledge to achieve it. To me, that’s what engineering is all about!

My story is about the diverse journey I have taken from Sri Lanka to Cuba, then to Canada, and finally to Silicon Valley—where I am an engineer working on cutting-edge technologies. In this e-book, I describe the steps I took to become an engineer, one of the most fascinating jobs in the world. At the same time, I am doing everything that is important to me: making a difference to change the world to be a better place, being creative, finding solutions that no one else has thought of, and spending time with my family—all while earning a good income. My engineering education, training and experiences have opened new doors for me. I have learned to understand how things work, and then be able to improve, or create, better solutions. The obstacles and challenges I have encountered have made me a stronger person. With determination, you can achieve what you hope to do. You learn from past experiences, but focus on the present, as well as future possibilities. Engineering allows me to live my life to the fullest. Surrounded by brilliant people at work, the ever-challenging nature of electrical and computer engineering is never boring to me. I will never stop learning. ~Jeewika Ranaweera, Ph.D.

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SRI LANKA: EARLY TRAITS OF AN ENGINEER

I

was born in Sri Lanka, the island nation off the southeast coast of India. I am the oldest of six girls and a boy.

We grew up in a typical, middle-class Sri Lankan family. My father was a social worker, who spent a great amount of time in the rural areas of Sri Lanka, and he also volunteered in many nonprofit organizations. Now retired, my father writes childrens’ story books; and he also translates outof-copyright English into Sinhala, a Sri Lankan language. My mother, whom I lost eight years ago, owned and operated a Montessori school for infants and pre-school children, including some from low-income families who received free tuition. She was a caring person, with a golden heart, and she lived by the saying, “Happiness is only real when shared.” The Montessori school was next door to our home, so my mother took me to the school in a bassinet to keep me close, while she taught, or did administrative work. As a result, I like to say I literally began going to school, as soon as my mom brought me home from the hospital! In this school, I eventually learned to read, write, count, and do simple math. By the time I started first grade at age five, I could do all of these skills, in both Sinhala and English. I was very fortunate to enroll in Visakha Vidyalaya, which is one of the leading girls’ schools in Colombo, the former capital of Sri Lanka. I completed first through twelfth grades at this school, and made lots of lasting friendships. Quite a few teachers from Visakha shaped my future—I owe a lot to them for who I am today. During my studies at Visakha, I realized that I had a keen liking for mathematics. One reason I grew to like math was the early math coaching I received from two aunts who taught the subject. l also played sports, and was involved with other extracurricular activities. I didn’t have the time to spend on theoretical subjects like history and social science. I was curious about any new item that came into our home, and I took apart and put back together everything from wrist watches and alarm clocks—to the curious-looking pens my father brought home from the overseas trips he took for business. As long as the item I had disassembled and rebuilt looked

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and functioned as originally intended, I didn’t get into trouble. But there were many times when I ended up with extra parts that I couldn’t fit back into the original item, making it totally useless. Although I learned to deal with my father’s annoyance, these mishaps taught me never to be afraid to fail! While in middle school, I took catering as an elective. This class started my interest in cooking, and in skillfully presenting meals. With this knowledge, I developed the ability to look at a prepared dish, figure out which ingredients were used, and how it was prepared—without looking at a recipe. Many times, I ended up with something completely different from the dish I intended to prepare—and occasionally, they were inedible. Fortunately, my parents gave me the freedom to try anything I wanted to cook—as long as I was safe. I once made a potato omelet with raw, sliced potatoes and eggs beaten together—which ended up as burnt eggs and partly cooked potatoes! Had I thought it through, I would have used boiled potatoes mixed with eggs to get a perfect omelet. But these kinds of mishaps eliminated any fear with experimenting, and taught me the value of following instructions for any kind of process development. Around the same time, I was getting the highest marks in my class for catering, and my father predicted that I could be a good restaurant chef—once I graduated from high school! Growing up, my sisters, brother and I were also lucky that our parents hosted some European exchange students through my father’s employer, Norway’s Save the Children Program, in Sri Lanka. Except for my father, none of us had traveled outside our country, so the experience of hosting these students proved to be an unparalleled cultural education. Interacting with them at home gave us the confidence to socialize and communicate with non-Sri Lankans. Sharing our daily lives helped to open the windows for pleasant surprises that grew into meaningful, lifelong friendships. We also learned to accept different customs; and we became more understanding, flexible, patient and compassionate. This experience was rewarding for our whole family, and it helped us to gain a broader view of the world. During middle school, I also developed an interest in art and drawing. I loved painting abstracts with distinctive colors that matched the surroundings of the rooms where they would hang. In class, my art teacher sat by me, and watched my paintings come to life. Even then, I always felt relaxed while painting, as it let me express ideas and emotions. The creativity I developed, and the energy and passion involved with the process, helped tremendously with my decision to become an engineer.

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By the time I entered high school, I had to pick four subjects related to the career path I had chosen. Since I loved mathematics and was quite good at it, I chose applied math, pure math, physics and chemistry to study in tenth through twelfth grades. Of all these, chemistry was my weakest subject, because I had to spend more time memorizing—mainly, the inorganic section. At the time, I would have been very happy if I had been able to take catering instead of chemistry!! Although I had no immediate relative to look up to as an engineer, I slowly got exposed to various engineering fields during my high school years. I had never worked with a computer, but I knew I wanted to be an engineer in computers, electrical, electronics or aeronautics. The next step was to do well in my General Certificate of Education— Advanced Level (GCE A-Level) exam in twelfth grade—and then, be accepted by one of the two Sri Lankan state universities that offered engineering. When I was in school, and perhaps even today, the GCE A-Level exam was extremely competitive and traumatic for most Sri Lankan high school students. Only the top 1.5% of students who passed this exam were selected to attend the state universities and study engineering. Then, after taking the exam, we had to wait seven or eight months for the final results of this nationwide test to be released. Those who didn’t get high enough marks would have to wait another year to repeat the exam. As it turned out, my lack of interest in chemistry finally caught up with me. My overall grades were slightly below what was needed to be admitted to study engineering in those two Sri Lankan universities. Since I didn’t want to spend another year waiting to retake the test, I opted to apply for one of the overseas scholarships that Russia, China, Cuba, and several other nations gave, at that time, to Sri Lankan students. The process included facing multi-level interviews the Sri Lankan Ministry of Higher Education conducted, and then going through a stiff selection process. I applied to go to Russia, because some of my friends were there; but instead, the Cuban government offered me an opportunity to study computer science and engineering in Cuba. Before my technical studies could start, I went through a very intensive course of Spanish during my first year, and then took engineering-related courses in Spanish, alongside the Cuban students.

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Lessons Learned: • Curiosity, and not being afraid to fail, are important traits to develop. • Doing something you really love and enjoy can help you develop the skills

you need to succeed in your chosen career.

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CUBA: SIX YEARS OF GROWTH

O

nce I accepted the scholarship the Sri Lankan Ministry of Higher Education and the Cuban government presented to me, I never looked back. I was only 17, but I had no second thoughts. This new journey would be wondrous, and I believed in myself! To prepare for the next chapter in my life, I met several times with Cuban Embassy officials. I also spoke to the parents of several Sri Lankan students already studying in Cuba. Since Spanish would be the language of instruction, I started to learn a few words and phrases to help me upon my arrival. During this learning process, I realized the value of the French lessons I had taken; many Spanish words were similar to the French I already knew. On 26 August 1983, three male Sri Lankan students and I nervously flew to Cuba from the Colombo airport. First, we went to Moscow, where we boarded the flight to Havana. When we arrived, the customs and immigration officials greeted us, and spoke to us in English. From the airport, our sponsors drove us directly to a Havana medical facility, where we were quarantined for a week—a standard procedure we had been told to expect. Riding from the airport, I enjoyed seeing the charming streets filled with ancient, American-made Chevrolets and Buicks that had survived from the time of the 1959 Communist revolution, led by Fidel Castro. Strolling people and small groups of men, some of them smoking cigars and relaxing by the trees, occupied the boulevards. The buildings ranged from immaculate Spanish colonial style to square, high-rise buildings, some being restored. There was no sign of garbage, anywhere. At the medical facility, we went through various tests to check for symptoms of such diseases as malaria and tuberculosis. The staff was extremely kind and friendly to all of us, including about 20 other students who had arrived from African countries. During my free time at the facility, and with my Spanish/English dictionary at hand, I started to immerse myself in learning more Spanish words; as well simple phrases from the nurses, doctors and janitors. Following the quarantine period, we travelled to the University of Camaguey, located in the third largest Cuban city. This university would be the setting for our year-long, Spanish-language immersion studies.

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My women-only dormitory housed about 40 international students, plus five Cuban students who were our guides. In this housing arrangement, I spoke either English or Spanish, an advantage of being the only Sri Lankan student in the dorm. Although initially I felt lonely, I looked at it as a blessing in disguise, since I was mastering the language faster than I had expected to. This experience taught me to focus on the positivity over the negativity that could have made me sad and down. I was starting a new chapter of my life in Cuba; and people were joyful, friendly, and very welcoming. On my very first weekend as a student, I was invited to visit a Cuban family in the rural province of Camaguey. Many villagers didn’t know where Sri Lanka was, but I was impressed to learn that some knew the first democratically elected female prime minister in the world came from there. Some even pronounced her name—Siramao Bandaranayake—very well indeed! We were soon immersed in Spanish lessons—six hours a day, Monday through Friday. The program was structured so we could start having a basic conversation in Spanish, within two months of starting the course. I was adapting well into my new home, but it took me longer to get used to the Cuban food, mainly what was served to us at the dorm. My favorite was fried tuna with rice, and also black bean soup and salad. On another weekend, I visited a Cuban family in Las Tunas, in the southern part of Cuba. There, I misunderstood the word “rana,” an animal that my hosts told me made a sound similar to “quack-quack.” The next day at lunch, I was astounded when they served cooked frogs instead of duck! Frogs are considered a delicacy in Cuba, but I politely declined, and settled for eggs with rice and salad. This incident showed me the necessity, whenever my dictionary wasn’t nearby, of including drawings to describe words that I wasn’t familiar with. Throughout my stay in Camaguey, I enjoyed meeting new people, visiting places, and learning about the Cuban culture—their salsa dancing, music, and much more. Six months soon passed, and I was very comfortable. Now I enrolled in math, physics, chemistry and Cuban history—all taught in Spanish—in preparation for the undergraduate degree that I would be taking later on with the Cuban students. At this stage of my student life, I understood the importance of doing well in all subjects. The university used a five-point grading system, and I got a 5.0

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GPA in the language immersion program. This accomplishment made me feel very proud! In the summer of 1984, I was selected to attend the Instituto Superior Politécnico José Antonio Echeverría (ISPJAE) in Havana, to pursue a degree in computer science and engineering. I was over the moon to be selected to attend Cuba’s highly ranked technical university, which offered undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral research degrees. Moving to Havana somehow felt like being a little closer to home. There were a few other female Sri Lankan students there, and I found life in Havana more exciting and upbeat, exposing me to a culturally and politically unique society. At ISPJAE, I felt well prepared to follow all the technical classes taught in Spanish. The international students followed the same curriculum as the Cuban students, and we were subject to the same standards and requirements. I was grateful to Cuba for giving me this scholarship. All three meals were freshly cooked daily, and served at the common dining hall. The housing was free, and we were given a monthly stipend for pocket money. We also received free medicine, toiletries and clothes. Since the U.S. embargo affected Cuba, many of the items that we took for granted at home were not freely available. I learned to be extremely careful not to use up certain products, including the Ceylon tea and Sri Lankan spices that I had brought from home. The international students in Cuba didn’t have to worry about anything except focusing on their studies. As a result, I was able to give my very best to excel in all the subjects I was required to take, so I could receive my undergraduate degree. These classes included the theories of Socialism and Communism—all mandatory subjects to graduate. While studying these topics, I kept in mind the valuable advice I received from the Ministry of Higher Education in Sri Lanka: “Do your best in those subjects, but remember to leave all these ideologies in Cuba, when you return.” I was cruising along very well in all the technical subjects, including electronic circuits, semiconductors and programming. Since most technical textbooks were in English, I had some advantage over Cuban students. That allowed me to spend more time on the subjects that were heavy on theory. As a result of doing so well in my freshman year, I received a research assistantship at Centro de Investigaciones de Micro Electronica (CIME), for my second year at ISPJAE. CIME had collaborated on various efforts with the

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University of Toronto (UofT) in Canada. In fact, some UofT professors had been to both CIME and ISPJAE for joint research and teaching programs. At the time, I couldn’t have known how fateful the relationship between the Cuban and the Canadian institutions would prove to be for me. During the years I spent in Cuba, more than 20,000 international students were studying in Cuban universities. Most of us were determined to experience Cuba with an open mind, and a willingness to learn about a new way of life. We were building new cultural bridges and influencing future relationships between countries. I thoroughly enjoyed my life in Cuba; I had stepped into a vibrant, lively and creative place. We were all encouraged to explore the country’s cultural diversity. I was amazed to feel the respect given to women there. During much of my free time, I talked with other international students about their cultures, languages, geography and families. Living in Cuba also taught me the valuable lesson of not judging people by their race, nationality, or gender. Wherever I went, I felt a sense of caring and friendship; the level of hospitality I received as an international student continually amazed me. Although Cubans had limited choices on non-essentials—everyone—including the rural families—had electricity, running water, a refrigerator, television set, and other essentials. Education, medical and dental care were free to everyone; and the homes, businesses and roads were clean and orderly, with no homeless or panhandling people to be seen. I always felt extremely safe, even when returning alone to my dormitory late at night. The elders in Cuban families love giving advice to the younger generations. One day, before leaving for work, a friend’s mother was tidying up her kitchen after breakfast. When I asked why she didn’t wait to do this task, until after returning from work, she said, “We always know our state at this moment, but not the state we will be in when we return home.” Her simple advice was very helpful to me in developing my own time management skills. For years, many of these elders had not seen family members, who had moved to the United States after the revolution. To avoid developing loneliness or depression, they had focused on the positive aspects and joys of Cuban life. Their stories helped me to cope when I felt homesick; since I, too, was away from my family for a long time. Thanks to these Cuban elders’ valuable advice, I was able to concentrate on being independent, and to appreciate my life. I spent my summers visiting places in Cuba and Canada.

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One of my most memorable experiences took place when the Sri Lankan President, Junius Richard Jayawardena, visited Cuba. We were invited to greet him at the airport, and to attend the state dinner that Fidel Castro would host at the Palacio de Revolucion. We were very excited! We took our cameras to capture memories of this grand occasion, but were disappointed when we had to leave our belongings at the entrance for security reasons. That evening, when Fidel Castro and President Jayawardena approached us for a chat, I told Cuba’s leader how saddened I was that we didn’t have our cameras to take pictures with them. To my complete surprise, Castro quickly summoned his official photographer and asked him to take pictures! Fidel Castro stood next to me, put his arm around my shoulder, and posed with the group of Sri Lankan students and President Jayawardena. Weeks later, our families were surprised when the Cuban Embassy in Colombo delivered framed photos! Not bad for speaking up when needed—especially to world leaders! Excelling in my studies as a foreign student in Cuba had more advantages. Each year, the students with the top grade point averages received an all-expenses paid, weeklong trip to a popular Cuban tourist destination. I received this honor all five years while at ISPJAE and—in luxury—got to know the country better. Six years swiftly went by. I now spoke three languages, and had both an undergraduate degree, and a deep appreciation of Cuba and its people. I was ready to leave Cuba, but thanks to my own living experiences, I had opened my mind to seeing things and people without prejudging. Happiness, mixed with sadness, overflowed in me as I left—now a mature, independent woman—one proud to have taken the advantage of the unique opportunity bestowed upon her. As the Ministry of Higher Education had advised, I viewed Cuba past the politics and clichés. I had had an amazing experience, with lots of fond memories of a nation with a larger-than-life national identity. All my efforts paid off well, when I graduated with a high GPA. At graduation, I received a diploma adorned with a prestigious gold seal—“titulo con medalla de oro.” Lessons Learned: • Believe in yourself. Don’t be afraid to take a new journey in life. • Never judge people, places and countries based on what you hear

from others.

• Immersion is the best way to learn a new language. WOMEN IN ENGINEERING BOOK 10

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CANADA: GRADUATE SCHOOL, MARRIAGE AND MOTHERHOOD

A

fter six years away from my family, I was looking forward to seeing everyone again.

But on my way home to Sri Lanka, I stopped to visit relatives and friends in California, and several cities in Canada. While in California, I saw Senaka Ranaweera, whom I had known since our childhood in Sri Lanka. He had already obtained his engineering degree in Sri Lanka, and was now studying for his MBA in the United States. Love bloomed, and we became engaged.

At the same time, I was also going to Canada to visit one of my sisters, who was studying there on a scholarship. She, as well as Senaka, encouraged me to apply for a Master’s program. I knew doing so would further delay my trip back home, but with my parents’ and Senaka’s blessings, I began the process of applying to engineering schools in Canada. This undertaking included passing a test of my English, getting transcripts and letters of recommendation from my professors at ISPJAE, and—not the least—securing funds to pay tuition fees. I enrolled as a part-time, international student in the Master’s of Engineering program, at the University of Toronto (UofT), in the electrical and computer engineering department. However, I wanted to eventually change to a Master’s in Applied Science, and possibly continue toward a Ph.D. At UofT, the ECE programs are housed in the same department with researchers who are experts in the electrical and computer science fields. The university’s ECE program was the largest and most highly regarded in the country, with professors and research staffs conducting leading-edge research. I felt fortunate to be with a team of researchers who were shaping the future of technology. After I became a graduate student, Senaka and I married in 1990 in Toronto, a year before he received his MBA. Upon graduating, he moved to Toronto, and we decided to visit Sri Lanka—the trip I’d postponed since leaving Cuba. We traveled home by way of Hamburg, Germany, where his parents were living—as his father was a senior executive with UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

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Our final destination was Colombo, and I still remember the happy tears we all shed, while hugging my parents at the airport. My sisters were grown, and the country looked much different from when I had left. But after two months of visiting relatives and friends, as well as enjoying delicious food, it was time for us to return to Canada. Back in Toronto, Senaka began applying for jobs. For me, being an international student was totally different from the all-expenses-paid life I had enjoyed in Cuba. Until I secured research and teaching assistantships, I had to pay tuition that cost five times more than Canadian students. So, my initial decision to enroll in the part-time Master’s program proved wise. Once I had completed the course requirements, and secured a paid research assistantship and foreign student scholarship from UofT, I transferred to the Master’s in Applied Science program, as a full-time student. The initial phase of my thesis research was on Flash Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read-Only Memory Cells (EPROM). After I had read a great many publications about the existing research and the simulated data, I realized my conclusions were much like those of other researchers; I felt I was re-inventing the wheel with my thesis topic, because nothing new was involved. Clearly, I needed to step back and rethink my research focus. For example: What if I was to change A, B, or a combination of them, to get C? What could I do to improve the Flash EEPROM? I went back to start from the basics—and came up with a very simple, faster way to program flash memory cells, using lower voltages than the existing ones. It felt like I had invented a new, easier recipe for a dish that had already been around for a while! What a wonderful feeling! I had found a research topic not only for my Master’s thesis, but also, for my eventual Ph.D. groundwork. Essentially, I was now in the driver’s seat—steering my research work, publishing my findings, and presenting them at various technical conferences! At one point, I received the best student paper award at a Canadian Microelectronics research workshop in Ottawa. The UofT Innovation Foundation also took steps to apply my research work for a U.S. patent, and it was granted in 2000. I received my Master’s in Applied Science in 1995, and the Canadian government now considered me to be “a Canadian-educated individual.” This status meant I had a better chance of becoming a permanent resident in Canada, as a skilled worker. This advantage opened up more doors for Senaka and me. And we were thankful for the potential opportunities—including a pathway to Canadian citizenship, after three more years.

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Since my research work could be expanded toward a doctoral thesis, I was on track for enrolling in the Ph.D program. I had strong support from my main advisor and Master’s thesis supervisor, Dr. Salama. He believed in my potential, and he supported me throughout my graduate studies. With research grants, teaching assistantships, and UofT Open Doctoral Fellowships, I was financially set; and with my husband working for IBM Canada, life as a graduate student felt comfortable and secure. I realize such good circumstances are fairly unusual—but were at least partly due to my hard work. My good grades and the ability to obtain grants, assistantships and fellowships, also enabled me to finish my graduate studies debt-free. I’m proud of that! When I had finished the required course work, and my Ph.D. research was progressing well, Senaka and I decided it was time to expand our family. Soon, we were delighted to be expecting a son. But at around the eighth week of pregnancy, I started having complications. A referral to an obstetrician who handles high-risk pregnancies, plus our determination to do everything in our power to have this baby, saw us through. My thesis work remained important, and at one point Dr. Salama asked me whether I would like to take time off from the program. I thanked him, but said that I felt I managed myself better under pressure—and if the need arose, I would reconsider. On one occasion, my doctor told me to take two weeks of complete bed rest. Unfortunately, his order was just a few days before the deadline to submit a technical paper I was writing for an IEEE conference on non-volatile memory. I was devastated! I had worked very hard, and was about 80 percent finished with the paper. Dr. Salama reassured me, reminding me that my and the baby’s wellbeing were more important than the paper, and there would be plenty of other conferences to which I could submit my work in the future. However, I decided to contact the conference technical chair, explain my situation, and ask if they could extend the deadline. To my surprise, he immediately wrote back with his permission to submit the paper two weeks later. This provision made me so happy and relaxed, that I immediately started feeling better! A very thoughtful gesture from a person I didn’t know helped me to be both relaxed and focused! The paper I submitted was accepted for presentation at the conference. Looking obviously pregnant and feeling slightly nervous, I stood in front of about 250 experts in my field to present my research—and it was very well received.

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Despite the scares, I progressed well and delivered a healthy, full-term boy. We named him Mano. But during this high-risk pregnancy, I realized the importance of the love and support I received from family, friends and sometimes, complete strangers. We were blessed to have my mother stay with us for six months to help us with the baby. Thanks to her support, I was able to return to school just 11 days after having the baby, and finish my thesis work! As it turned out, the flexibility I enjoyed in writing the thesis from home (and my advisors’ understanding) helped me to spend more time with Mano—while, at the same time, allowing me to focus on the thesis. Eventually, I finished all my doctoral requirements, and I was ready to defend the thesis at a final oral examination—less than 3 ½ years after enrolling as a Ph.D. student. When the external appraiser who attended my oral examination commented on the short time I had taken to finish my Ph.D., I heard Dr. Salama say “And with a baby, too!” I realized what an achievement this was, and I silently thanked my son for being the best baby ever—and everyone else who helped make this achievement possible! Of course, I couldn’t have done this without self-determination, and believing in my inner strengths and drive to get things done. Lessons Learned: • Exploring the basics can lead you to new discoveries. • When you need help, ask for it—even from strangers. • Self-determination and believing in yourself can help you to achieve

your goals.

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SILICON VALLEY: LIFE AS A WOMAN ENGINEER

I

graduated in 1999 with my Ph.D., during what seemed like the perfect time. It was the height of the dot-com boom, and I felt I was walking into a rosy job market, filled with lots of perks.

Recruiters from U.S. and Canadian technology companies visited the UofT campus long before graduation. Now a Canadian citizen, I could work in the United States, as long as I had a job offer. In October 1998, I traveled to several Canadian cities, as well as to California for job interviews. My preference was to land a dream job in Silicon Valley, where I could expand and grow, as an engineer specializing in semiconductor device and process technology. I happily accepted an offer from Actel Corporation, a manufacturer of non-volatile, low-power field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The offer included a sign-on bonus and moving expenses from Toronto to the Valley. Our son Mano was over a year old, and our immediate need was to find daycare for him. Senaka had left his job in Toronto, and he decided to take a break, while we settled into our new lives in the United States. Eventually, he began working at Compaq; later, it merged with Hewlett-Packard, where he still works today as a business analyst. At Actel, I was lucky to have a manager who was both caring and technologically savvy. Under his guidance, I found a balance between my work responsibilities and my family life. My work at Actel was in antifuses—a new area for me to explore. An antifuse is an electrical device that performs the opposite function to a fuse: Whereas a fuse starts with a low resistance, and is designed to permanently break an electrically conductive path; an antifuse starts with a high resistance, and is designed to permanently create an electrically conductive path. Antifuses are widely used to permanently program integrated circuits. I began researching antifuses, and soon found a suitable material—tantalum nitride—that could be used to make a more robust antifuse link. My work related to this finding yielded several patents, and also appeared in several industry publications.

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About a year after I joined Actel, I was pregnant again—and both relieved and happy to avoid any complications this time. Our daughter, Sonali, was born on her exact due date, and I was able to spend my maternity leave with her. But about a year later, the dot-com bubble began to burst. Companies were laying people off, and many startups were closing. House prices were going down, and families were moving from the Bay area to other states, as well as moving back to their countries. People were losing money in the stock market; some, who had risked everything hoping to make a fortune, lost it all. It was sad to see the devastation. In 2004, after I had been with Actel for more than four years, my manager delivered the bad news: A new round of layoffs was starting, and my job was being eliminated. I received a good severance package, and other benefits; but I worried how this layoff would affect my family, and the lifestyle we enjoyed. Senaka reassured me that by cutting back on some expenses, we could still live comfortably. The first night without a job was very upsetting, as I thought about all the possible worst-case scenarios that could happen. The following Saturday, I attended an event, where I met some others who had recently lost their jobs. We shared our mutual fears, and we also formed an informal support system. This support group helped me to realize that when I was feeling discouraged, the best way to help myself up and to see the opportunities, was to encourage others. After this event, I felt better about myself, strategized to put the negative feelings out of my mind, and looked for the positive aspects. Mano and Sonali were happy to have me at home full time, and I enjoyed motherhood—comforted, I will admit, by the severance package and unemployment benefits now coming my way. Feeling better about myself and my next career move, I put my resume together and sent it out to a great many of my industry contacts. Very soon, I was getting interviews, second interviews—and job offers! Within two months of being laid off, I started a new job at Sun Microsystems, earning a higher salary than before. I believe my good fortune was due to my positive attitude, and believing in my potential. Had I been depressed about the layoff from Actel, I may have communicated the wrong attitude during interviews—and I might not have found a good job for a long time.

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I immediately started to love my work at Sun Microsystems. I was now on the team that developed high-end microprocessors; and while the work was challenging, I enjoyed working on the product line that was key to the company’s success. I felt privileged to be on a development team consisting of 80 percent Ph.D.s, and thankful for the opportunity to make a difference with them. Looking back on the Actel layoff, I now know the true meaning of the saying, “Everything happens for a reason.” At Sun, I started getting involved with IEEE—both as an editor, and as a member of several technical committees. To me, nothing has been more rewarding than being a judge at local and international science fairs, where I get to motivate and stimulate the interests of students in the fields of science and engineering. I enjoy inspiring these aspiring engineers and scientists about how we think, as well as how to identify important questions—even when their science projects might be flawed. For some students, I am the first female professional engineer they ever meet. Therefore, I am an ambassador for engineers: we are also “real” people! I hope students’ perceptions of me influence their choices to be in STEM careers. An experience I had at Actel convinced me I needed to do something to encourage talented girls toward STEM. While attending the IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium at a hotel in Dallas, I happened to walk past another, non-technical conference, with mostly female attendees. As I walked by, I overheard a group of women from this other conference talking about the one I was attending. One of them commented that they were “the only real people at a real conference.” Clearly, the topic of physics meant “unreal” to them. I didn’t have time to talk to this group, but I felt quite the contrary. How misinformed they were! And what an inaccuracy to label us that way! Besides being an engineer, I enjoy painting, cooking, traveling, gardening, volunteering—and being a mother and a wife—and nothing can be more real. In 2010, Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems. I am now part of a multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures and markets—as the company slogan states—“Hardware and Software, Engineered to Work Together.” Counting my years at Sun, I have enjoyed 12 years of professional development and self-growth in an organization known as one of the most successful and iconic companies in Silicon Valley. I’m proud to be part of the

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development team that pushes the boundary of Moore’s Law, the axiom that computer processing power doubles every 18 months, especially relative to cost or size. Oracle is a great place to work, with lots of opportunities to grow. Employees are encouraged to seek their full potential, while balancing personal and family lives. Collaborating and networking with talented, passionate, highly motivated and caring colleagues, doing challenging work, are important factors in my professional career. The work-life balance at Oracle provides me with opportunities to integrate my personal to-do’s with my work to-do’s. I have peace of mind knowing I can take care of things in a timely manner, and it allows me to do my job better, and feel more productive. Thanks to the relaxation techniques I’ve learned in company-sponsored classes and other activities, some of my most creative ideas have come while taking showers, painting, or tending my succulent garden. Oracle’s employee resource groups encourage diversity and equal rights. Since I believe in the need for women to network, I became active as a lead in Oracle Women Leadership (OWL). A global initiative, OWL’s mission is to develop, engage and empower current and future generations of Oracle women, to foster an inclusive and innovative workforce. This network has become a great avenue for me to seek guidance and enhance leadership skills. I find the women at Oracle to be very committed, diverse and passionate—and I’m very proud to be part of OWL. The recent volunteer work I did with the Oracle Education Foundation’s exciting mission, to inspire and develop the next generation of innovators, has been one of the most gratifying ways to give back to the community. Being a part of the Oracle team of female technologists, who helped to develop a curriculum, and deliver a workshop on wearable technology—clothing and accessories incorporating programming and electronics—for ninth-grade girls from Design Tech High School in Burlingame, was professionally and personally fulfilling. We also coached the girls in basic coding and electronics, followed by a design challenge; in which students had to uncover problems, and prototype wearable solutions, using their new skills. Like most professionals, I’ve worked with all kinds of people. Not everyone is going to be cheering you on as you take control of your life and career. There will always be someone ready to tell you what you can’t do. I’ve trained myself to have a thick skin to deal with such people. I’ve also learned from the traits I’ve discovered most likeable people have in common: a positive attitude; non-judgmental; responsible; do what they say, and when they say

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it; go above and beyond to solve a problem; make an effort to stay engaged with others; and treat everyone the way they want to be treated. As an IEEE Senior Member who is actively involved with IEEE Women in Engineering, as well as IEEE conferences and technical forums, I’m constantly meeting and learning from inspiring engineers and scientists. I am also an IEEE volunteer, as an ABET program evaluator, which gives me the opportunity to help guide the content, quality and delivery of engineering degree programs around the world. In turn, I work to inspire girls around the world to follow their academic interests to a career in engineering. Finally, I thrive on helping, advising and supporting my son and daughter on their charitable work that raises money for less fortunate children. Volunteering gives me pleasure and energy to do more good deeds—while being an engineer. Oracle has been a great contributor to both what I do, and who I am today, because the company cares about the job I do, as well as my passion to help people. Lessons Learned: • When feeling discouraged, lift yourself up by encouraging others and vol-

unteering to make a difference.

• Everything in your life happens for a reason. • Likeable people are non-judgmental; responsible; do what they say, and

when they say it; go above and beyond to solve a problem; make an effort to stay engaged with others; have a positive attitude; and treat everyone the way they themselves want to be treated.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J

eewika Ranaweera is a principal hardware engineer at Oracle. She received her Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering from ISPJAE in Havana, Cuba; and her Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. She is a member of the Oracle Corporation Advanced Technology team that develops high-speed microprocessors. Jeewika is currently involved in foundry technology development, design rules for 10nm FinFet technology, and product tape-out methodology. She was previously involved with data analysis, with emphasis on failure predictions and product performance; and innovative Design for Manufacturability (DFM) solutions, implementing layout effect validation methods to enhance yield, at both Sun Microsystems (acquired by Oracle in 2010) and at Actel Corporation. Jeewika Ranaweera is an IEEE Senior Member, a member of the IEEE Electron Device Society (EDS) Technology Computer-Aided Design Committee, and an EDS editor for special technical issues. She volunteers as an ABET program evaluator for IEEE; is a judge for local and international science fairs; is active in IEEE Women in Engineering; and Oracle Women Leadership; and also Recycling4Smiles and SpareAQuarter charities. She has authored and co-authored many papers published in technical journals, or presented at international conferences. Jeewika holds four U.S. patents. She can be reached at [email protected]

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2001 L Street, NW, Suite 700 • Washington, D.C. 20036-4928 +1 202 785 0017 • www.ieeeusa.org www.ieeeusa.org/communications/ebooks

IEEE-USA E-BOOKS

WOMEN IN

ENGINEERING BOOK 11: QUIETLY, CLEARLY AND AUTHORITATIVELY BY JILL BY AMY S. TIETJEN, K. JONESP.E.

PANTONE SOLID COATED: RED 185C - BLUE 286C

To Mom and Dad, who made me believe that anything is possible; and to B.J., who makes it all worth it. —Amy K. Jones

Copyright © 2016 by IEEE-USA and by Amy K. Jones. All rights reserved. Published and Hosted by IEEE-USA. Copying this material in any form is not permitted without prior written approval from IEEE/ IEEE-USA. Final Editing, Review, Production and Publishing by Georgia C. Stelluto, IEEE-USA Publishing Manager Cover design and layout by Spark Design Author Liaison, Preliminary Editing, Helen Horwitz, Well-Chosen Words This IEEE-USA publication is made possible through funding by a special dues assessment of IEEE members residing in the United States.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 My Name Isn’t Jenny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 An Impossible Conversation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 The Ratio .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Advice I’ve Been Given . Learning People Skills .

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7 9

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A House Not Built for Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Ni Hao, Namaste, Nice to Meet You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 The Five Stages of Dealing with Gender Bias in the Workplace . About the Author .

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INTRODUCTION

O

ne of my mother’s favorite books is Alice in Wonderland, and given her penchant for books and book-related décor, I’ve spent a lot of time scouring stores for Alice-themed birthday gifts. My favorite quote is part of a conversation between the Queen and Alice, in which the Queen exhorts Alice to practice believing in impossible things. This year has been my crash course in believing in the impossible. The fun thing about surrealism is that, as Alice learns, when you’re in the middle of the impossible, the easiest thing is to acclimate and move forward. So, it’s with that approach, that I draft the introduction to this book. Quite honestly, my only qualification for writing it is that IEEE-USA asked me, and I said yes. I can’t go any further without thanking several people who calmed and encouraged me throughout the process. So, to those who helped, whether it was with ideas, or with well-placed reassurances, thank you.

What follows are what I feel are the most interesting anecdotes regarding my experiences as a woman in engineering. Some are stories of what I did well; others, I hope, will demonstrate where I’ve failed, and perhaps inspire you to act differently than I did. Despite all the cringe-worthy moments, I believe my failures are the most vital to include—successes feel intimidating, and it’s hard to accurately express how much hard work and luck go into them. In contrast, failure is a pathway to learning. I hope this e-book inspires you to perform a bit of self-reflection. I also hope I make you laugh, and that I give you a little of the special feeling one experiences when enjoying a glass of red wine with a friend who really gets you. Finally, the title of this e-book is from a speech given a few years ago, by the actress, Meryl Streep. She was discussing how to get more obscure movies to play in your local theater, and she suggested asking the theater manager, because “it’s amazing what you can get if you quietly, clearly and authoritatively demand it.” I agree, and would add that it’s even more amazing what happens when you say “yes.” Thank you for reading. —Amy K. Jones

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MY NAME ISN’T JENNY

I

t is common knowledge that junior year in Electrical Engineering is the weed-out year. When I began my undergraduate studies in 2004, the standard plan (for graduating in four years) required spending one’s first semester as a junior studying Linear Algebra, Linear Systems, Electronics I and Electromagnetics. My second semester as a junior didn’t get any easier—Statistics, Linear Systems II, Power Systems and Photonics! The running joke was that everybody’s favorite speech to brand-new freshmen (“Look to your left; and look to your right, because only one of those people will be sitting next to you at graduation”) had been created by generations of electrical engineers who’d seen their classmates transfer to the history program to avoid a mental breakdown. The first semester of my junior year had gone well, so I walked into Linear Systems II with more than my usual amount of confidence. Linear Systems II was one of the larger EE classes in which I had enrolled, and it was held in the largest lecture hall in the department, with about 100 students in the class. I was pleased to recognize several members of last semester’s lab group, as well as a couple of people that I’d studied with in other classes. It didn’t take long for someone to observe that almost every female upperclassman in the EE department was in this section. The professor noticed such a high density of women—all eight of us—as well. After he reviewed the day’s syllabus, he began the introductions, although I never understood how professors expected to remember everybody’s name. He abruptly stopped, upon reaching my classmate Kelly. The professor looked around incredulously. “There are a lot of girls here! There’s no way I can remember that many names.” Looking at Kelly’s sweatshirt, he said, “You’re in Zeta Tau Alpha sorority? I dated a girl from there named Jenny! I’ll call you all Jenny.” He continued down the line, announcing “Jenny” every time he got to a woman. By the time he got to me, I didn’t even bother to offer my first name. Now, I look back on that class with regret. I wish I would have had the courage to talk to that professor, and tell him how his joke came across. I wish I would have stood up for Kelly, and the rest of us. I wish that I would have

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worked harder in the class, so that he had to give the highest test scores to the “Jennys.” Instead, I spent the class reading the textbook, and taking tests with an undercurrent of indignation. A subject that I should have aced became one of my least favorites. It has taken a long time to let go of the resentment caused by spending 42 classroom hours as “Jenny.” The professor was ignorant, and he attempted a joke that was hurtful, instead of funny. My fellow students laughed at it. I stayed silent. The real lesson I learned from that class wasn’t a Fourier transform; it was learning how to forgive my 19-year-old self for being young and scared, and imperfect. I’m still working on it. Lesson Learned: •

Forgive yourself for the mistakes you’ve made.

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AN IMPOSSIBLE CONVERSATION

I

was working in a large group of about 15 people, only two of whom were women. Over a six to nine-month period, my group had been doing a lot of hiring for entry-level and mid-career positions. In the company where I was employed at that time, candidates had a series of interviews. They wouldn’t just talk with the hiring manager—potential co-workers and members of other departments with whom they would be interacting also interviewed them. Over the course of several such hirings, I’d noticed that the managers were asking only the male members of my group to interview candidates—despite we two women being fully qualified, and in some cases, having more experience within the group. Instead, the hiring managers consistently asked both the other woman and I to take the candidates to lunch. This benign imbalance was eating away at me. The interviewers had the opportunity to sit in on the final decision for each candidate—while my input was limited to sharing how friendly the candidate seemed, and the quality of their questions. But despite how much this imbalance bothered me, I didn’t want to address it with my supervisor. Many “what ifs” kept running through my head, such as:

What if What if What if What if dumb? • What if • What if • • • •

my supervisor thinks I’m whining? I’m the only person bothered by this? I’m being overly sensitive, and this isn’t a big deal? there’s a rule that I don’t know about, and I end up looking I do this, and nothing changes? my supervisor ends up resenting me, and I never get promoted?

Finally, when this dissatisfaction with one tiny aspect of working at my company started to bleed over into other areas, I realized that I had to talk about it. Venting wasn’t helping, and ignoring it wasn’t doing any good, either. If I was going to be happy in my job, I had to talk about it. As I prepared for this discussion, a mentor helped me to structure my points. She reminded me that my boss probably wasn’t discriminating on purpose. In fact, and more likely, given how open he was to feedback in general, he probably hadn’t noticed that there was any imbalance.

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Despite my newly minted convictions, I was still debating whether to bring the situation up, when I was scheduled for a one-on-one meeting with my boss. Frankly, if I hadn’t told someone else that I’d planned to talk about it, I would have chickened out—and have let the “what ifs” win. When I explained the situation to him, his jaw dropped. He’d had no idea how his actions were being perceived; and in fact, hadn’t even known that both of us women had completed all the training the company required to interview job candidates. He told me that he considered the lunches a compliment to women’s “people skills.” Later, I learned that he’d personally apologized to the other woman in the group for his oversight. He also took immediate steps to address the situation. It would have been easier to listen to the negative self-talk—but in the end, I got a better work environment, a stronger relationship with my co-workers (who found out that I’d advocated for them), and a more open and trusting relationship with my supervisor. When I applied for a promotion a few months later, he mentioned that conversation as one of the reasons he knew I could be a leader in the group. But best of all, I increased my level of confidence—knowing that addressing something that has been making me unhappy in a positive way works much better than venting or stewing. Lesson Learned: • The only impossible conversations are the ones that you refuse to have.

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THE RATIO “Click...click...click...” I methodically pressed the counter in my left hand, marking off each tiny circle with a colored pencil as I worked through the drawing. When I was looking for a full-time job, I had sought challenge—something that focused more on big-picture project management, than on pages and pages of hand calculations, or Matlab scripts. I got my wish—the “big picture” drawing for which I was, creating an estimate took up my entire drafting table, and (in contrast to the 10-page lab reports to which I was accustomed) the final counts of light fixtures and outlets would fit on a Post-It® note. This project was not what I had expected. The company was a smaller one. As part of the interview process, I’d had breakfast with the CEO; and on my first day, I was taken around and introduced to everyone in the office, which took about an hour. At the end of my first week, I ran into another entry-level engineer, who was warming up her lunch in the small kitchen. She was thrilled to see me, and mentioned that I was the third woman on the project-engineering side of the business. There was one other female engineer on the estimating side. Back at my desk, I stirred my soup and ran a couple of numbers. “Four women, out of about 150 engineers,” I realized, “That’s an even worse ratio than in college!” Pretty much every woman who graduated from my small, male-dominated, engineering college was experienced at calculating “The Ratio.” It was the first thing that you did while attendance was taken on the first day of class; when discussing dating prospects; or when thinking about the odds for scholarships, or internships. By way of explanation, The Ratio is the number of men, divided by the number of women—and is usually expressed as something like four-to-one. A ratio in the teens was average for some of the more male-dominated departments; a psychology class felt alien, because it tipped over into the 50/50 range. If your friend broke up with her boyfriend, The Ratio is what we used to comfort her: “Don’t worry about him. There are four guys for every girl in

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this school, so you’ve got plenty of options.” Aside from a self-congratulatory metric that “proved” how special we were—and excellent familiarity with word problems involving percentages—The Ratio didn’t affect our lives much. I expected the same experience at work. The Ratio was something to bond with other women about, but nothing that would matter on a day-to-day basis. That is how I felt until I moved from the office, and onto a job site. All of a sudden, the ratio wasn’t a joke. It manifested itself in a series of awkward situations that began to feel like a wall was being built between me and the rest of my co-workers. None of these occurrences were what I considered a big deal individually—but gradually, the lunches that I wasn’t invited to, the ideas that went ignored until they were repeated by someone else in the room, and a foreman who was fond of reminding people that he needed to “protect” me, had demonstrated a culture where I realized that I was on the wrong side of the ratio. It wasn’t skewed in my favor, and it wasn’t funny anymore. I started taking every chance I could find to go back to the office, where I would seek out my friend to commiserate. That helped, but she was laid off when the recession hit, and I followed soon after. Luckier than most, I accepted an offer from John Deere, the company where I’d interned as an undergraduate. When I moved to Dubuque, Iowa, a few weeks later, I was a little more jaded—and a lot more cautious. Eager not to repeat history, I sought out other women, several of whom ended up forming a local section of the Society of Women Engineers. I started up outreach programs aimed at girls. There are great things about engineering, but The Ratio isn’t one of them. It’s time to fix it. Lesson Learned: • Support matters.

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ADVICE I’VE BEEN GIVEN

M

y mother’s favorite piece of advice is typical of her no-nonsense, take no-prisoners, give-no-compliments Irish heritage: “Stupider people than you have accomplished this.” Over the years, she has frequently deployed this advice: when I struggled with piano lessons; when I hesitated about going to a week-long, sleep-away camp; and most recently, when I was pregnant with my first child. Despite the harsh tone, there’s something reassuring about her advice. If I screw up, it’s not due to my lack of intelligence, or any other innate quality. It’s because I didn’t work hard enough. As we know from anecdotes about college students who solve the unsolvable proofs that they thought were part of a homework assignment, knowing that something is possible makes it so. My father, who is also an electrical engineer, gave me one consistent piece of advice during the first five years of my career. (Actually, two pieces of advice, if you count “Always remember Maxwell’s equations, so that you can derive everything else you need.”) Dad’s advice was to remember that my job is to make my boss’s life easier, and it started paying big dividends in my career—sooner than I expected.

Responding to requests with an enthusiastic “yes,” or offering to come up with a proposal for an issue, resulted in my developing a reputation as an employee who was like “pressing the easy button” to manage. Before long, I was getting interesting side projects that turned into leadership roles, which turned into promotions. All because Dad said, “You don’t turn down unpleasant work, if it helps out your boss.” Now that I have people reporting to me, I appreciate his wisdom even more. The employees who are proactive, without needing excess oversight or guidance, are the people I find myself turning to again and again for challenging, high-visibility work. Now, I’m in a position where others ask me for advice. My go-to counsel is this: Fake confidence. If you do it long enough, it will become genuine. Confidence doesn’t take the form of acting as if you know everything; it’s being sure that you can figure it out. Almost everyone has had a minor panic attack in a bathroom before a big presentation, but those who can square their shoulders and smile are the people who get more opportunities to speak.

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When I think back on my first few months as an engineer, I remember how what was then incredibly challenging for me is now a matter of routine. (And I can’t wait for the time when the things that are difficult now become easy!) When you pretend to be confident, you become what you pretend. Lesson Learned: • Advice is cheap. Experience is expensive.

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LEARNING PEOPLE SKILLS

O

ne of my most embarrassing moments came a few days before the official start of my junior year of college. I’d taken a job as a Senior Resident Assistant, in charge of a floor of 35 freshman boys. The written responsibilities were simple—keep everybody alive (and the building standing) for a year. In reality, it was more complicated. I was the first person a lot of these students would get to know, and it was my job to set them up for success at school—both academically, and in living independently. I knew from experience that I was in for many questions about laundry and the location of the trash chute; and (in a few months), questions about why That Girl had acted as she did. Getting to those questions would be a relief, because for the next few days, the students were secondary. Ninety percent of the questions I would field would be from parents dropping off their students. They would pepper me with questions about fire escapes, maintenance requests, and (less overtly stated) whether their kid could do this. The first student moved in a day early. His family had planned to stay in a hotel for the evening, have breakfast the next morning, and then get an early start on the long drive back home. As they finished signing all the necessary paperwork, I made small-talk, asking questions such as where they were from, and where they were staying. Through the special kind of sleep deprivation that comes from two weeks of intensive training and last-minute preparations, I heard myself say, “Nice! I hope your hotel has clean sheets!” Thinking about their mortified faces still brings on a cringe, even ten years later. My boss laughed when I told her about my foot-in-mouth demonstration. Then, she responded, “You’re engineers. I don’t expect you to be suave, but that’s a little weird!” The stereotype that engineers are socially awkward is one of the top three comments I’ve encountered. (The other two are: 1, “But you’re a girl!” and 2, “Wow, you must be really good at math!”) I embraced the stereotype for years. It fit in well with my stunted social skills, and gave me an excuse for evading small talk at networking events in

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favor of the bathroom. In fact, I started proclaiming that I was an introvert, and became a master of the early fade-out at weddings and parties. A quick google will bring up dozens of blog posts and cartoons depicting introverts as shy, socially inept people, with a strong preference for the company of domesticated animals. In contrast to popular belief, introversion and extroversion are nothing more than simplified ways to describe where you get your energy. If you’re introverted, your energy is recharged by time alone. If you’re extroverted, it’s recharged through contact with others. Yes, I was an introvert, but so were many others—the friendly woman who invited me to sit with her at lunch, the mentor at my first job, and the gregarious president of our IEEE student chapter. It became apparent that introversion wasn’t an excuse for being awkward; and that to be a leader, people would need to follow me. Armed with a few articles from the Internet, I set out to change my personality—and if that wasn’t possible, I was going to at least update my persona. The first lesson I internalized was that change is possible. Toddlers are capable of learning social conventions, and I like to believe that I am just as capable as a small child. Second, small talk is easier if you are better at listening. People love to talk about themselves, and if you can get them chatting, your end of the conversation becomes easier to hold up. Granted, my first attempts came out more like interrogations than conversations, but after studying the greats (mostly talk show hosts), I had a set of questions that can get almost anyone talking, especially when paired with an approachable facial expression. I practiced this at home in front of the bathroom mirror. Finally, like anything else, practice makes perfect. A natural tendency isn’t a life sentence. One of my proudest moments came when a woman whom I admire told me she had no idea that I wasn’t naturally social. I will always be one of the first people out the door at a networking hour (they’re exhausting!), but the confidence that I can be gregarious while I’m there is worth the extra time that I spend away from my slippers and books. Lesson Learned: • If you can learn calculus, you can learn small talk. WOMEN IN ENGINEERING BOOK 11

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A HOUSE NOT BUILT FOR ME

I

come from a long line of vertically challenged people. I ambitiously claim that I am five feet, two and a half inches. My mom is even shorter—about five feet, one inch—on a good day.

When remodeling her kitchen, she went to great lengths to find a custom designer who would drop the height of the island countertop to 30 inches from the standard 36. She was tired of the years of shoulder strain caused by jutting her elbows whenever she needed to roll out something. I understand my mom’s pain. The engineering profession can seem a lot like a house that wasn’t designed for me. Imagine that people who are all at least six feet tall designed and built this house. The cabinets reach to the ceilings. Mirrors are hung so high that they barely show my eyes, let alone my chin. And I can forget being able to reach anything on 50 percent of the shelves, because they might as well be hung from the ceiling. A task as simple as changing a light bulb can be a kamikaze stunt that requires two friends, a signed will, and a healthy disregard of acrophobia. The people who built the house weren’t being inconsiderate. At worst, I could accuse them of being short-sighted. After all, they built a place that was comfortable for them and met their needs. Fortunately, pioneering women from the last century demanded a key to the house. Every woman in technology, owes them our gratitude. My responsibility, now that I can enter the house, is different. There are problems in the world that are new and different. They haven’t been considered before. We need solutions that are creative, and diverse people who can collaborate to find them. The house needs to be remodeled so that everyone—tall and short—is welcome. It’s my job to remodel. The engineering profession must accommodate everyone, because only with everyone’s participation do we have a chance of moving forward at the pace that we need. The problems of the world demand nothing less.

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Lesson Learned: • Engineering can, and must, accommodate diversity.

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NI HAO, NAMASTE, NICE TO MEET YOU

I

had been Macarena-free since at least 2004. It’s my least favorite of the dance crazes that you only encounter at weddings—thanks to the hip shimmy, and the weird hopping movement that I can never seem to execute—without revealing I attended my first “dance” in college. Nevertheless, I was now standing in front of a group of 100 people, including my new boss, with one thought on repeat: “Why didn’t I teach them the Cupid Shuffle?” The music started, and I glanced over at the only other American standing on the stage in our group of ten, mentally shrugged, and finished the chorus with a rousing cheer of “Hey! Excavators!” The applause and cheers of “Zuode hao” (“Good job”) followed us back to our seats. Laughing, a Chinese friend and co-worker leaned over and told me that if we did this in America, we’d have to do the Chinese version of Gangnam Style— The Apple Dance.

This year marks my fifth year of working on a product designed for the Chinese market. The product is built in a factory a couple of hours east of Beijing. Over this time, I have counted myself very lucky to have worked closely with smart, talented people—both in China; and at our engineering center, in India. Together, we have accomplished more than any single location could have done on our own, and the friendships that we’ve built have enriched my life. How many people have co-workers willing to locate a specific style of slippers for a Christmas present, and ship them halfway around the world, in exchange for a bag of peanut butter M&Ms? Performing the Macarena falls into my Top Ten most embarrassing career moments. Although I’m probably somewhere on China’s “Funniest Home Videos,” I would do it again in a heartbeat. It reinforced my number one tip to getting along with my international coworkers: Don’t be afraid to engage. Silly looks different halfway around the world. In the United States, our reluctance to share about ourselves can be a significant obstacle to building relationships. It’s normal to share information about what you did over the weekend, or about your favorite sports team. But when working with Chinese and Indian colleagues, it is impolite to start a meeting off with a perfunctory greeting. Instead, we talk about family:

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“How is your daughter adjusting to kindergarten?”; or “How was your mother’s eye appointment?” It is tempting to think of this respectful back-and-forth as a waste of time. Instead, I’ve grown to understand it. Here in the United States, I’ve worked for years with people who, if they asked me for a favor, I’d drop everything to help out. My global colleagues operate in a culture where that is the norm for everyone—and by learning about me and by sharing their lives, they’re moving us towards a stronger relationship that accomplishes more. Learning to share more about yourself can be uncomfortable in the short run, since different cultures have diametrically opposed ideas of what topics are off limits. I’ve been asked about my weight, and how much I earn; and I learned very quickly that caste isn’t a good cultural topic to cover in India. On the other hand, everyone likes talking about holidays, sports and family. In fact, some of my most amusing conversations have happened when trying to explain why the Easter Bunny brings eggs. Working with and visiting other cultures is a valuable opportunity to integrate with the local team. So, go ahead, and try some of the strange-looking foods, and learn how to say a few phrases in their language. My Chinese is horrible, and my accent is worse; but learning a dozen words demonstrates that I’m making an effort. I see it as only fair—all our business is done in English, which is one of the most difficult languages to learn. If my co-workers can be bilingual, the least I can do is greet them in Chinese or Hindi. Ultimately, relationships are the product of time. My best friends are the people with whom I’ve worked for years. They’re the people who have watched my attempts to master chopsticks, warned me to stay away from the most potent of the local liquors, and shared their amazing recipe for curry meatballs. The rewards, both personal and professional, have been life-changing. Lesson Learned: • Speak slowly, and carry a lot of chocolate.

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THE FIVE STAGES OF DEALING WITH GENDER BIAS IN THE WORKPLACE

F

ew things get my dander up like being told to smile. A well-meaning man, who thinks he’s brightening my day, almost always says it—but instead, I hear that I am not being decorative enough for this person’s preferences. Or, that whatever is going on my personal life, or in my thoughts (which he has no way of knowing), is secondary to his desire to live in an environment that mirrors the finale of an animated movie. Unfortunately, this and similar occurrences happen frequently enough that I’ve documented my five personal stages of dealing with “benign” gender discrimination. These apply, regardless of the micro-aggression—whether it’s being told to smile, having to announce that your engagement doesn’t mean that you’re retiring, declining to participate in a team-building activity at a strip club, or answering yet another e-mail addressed to “Gentlemen.” Please note: I am not making up any of these examples. First, there’s shock. Is this really happening? These things are the kind you see on TV sitcoms, or in stand-up comedy routines. There is no way that you’ve experienced something in this decade, that was a major plot point years ago on Ally McBeal. Second, there’s insecurity, also known as self-doubt. The perpetrator is a good person. He may be your friend, parent, mentor, or supervisor. You must have heard wrong; and if you didn’t, they probably didn’t mean it. Guilt is next. You’re too sensitive. It’s normal; so, why is it bothering you so much? Do you really want to be the Politically Correct police? Bringing it up will damage your relationship with this person, so it’s really up to you to let it go. Besides, do you really want to fulfill the stereotype of the “overly-sensitive woman”? (I’ve found that most people stay at this stage, especially if they don’t have an advocate. If you’re sitting in this stage: I believe you. It’s not okay. It’s not you.) Rage follows, which can be directed internally (Why didn’t I say anything in the moment? What’s wrong with me?); or at the source of the issue (They should know better!). Fury can motivate or consume you. For every story that begins with: “I’ll show them!”; there’s another that ends with “Why bother?”

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Finally, you come to a choice. The final state can be acceptance. It’s where you come to the heavy realization that nothing will change, and that you’re better off moving past it and focusing on your work. This choice is viable—no one has the energy to fight all the battles in the world, and encountering bias doesn’t obligate you to spend your time fighting it. The other choice is advocacy. You can choose to take the risks that come with speaking up and addressing the issue. It gets easier with practice, and it is the only choice that leads to change. Lesson Learned: • You don’t owe anyone a smile.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A

my Jones graduated in 2008, with highest honors from Missouri University of Science & Technology in Rolla; with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering; and minors in Business, Mathematics and Psychology of Leadership. In 2014, she received her Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University. As an undergraduate, she completed three internships with John Deere in Dubuque, Iowa. She began her career as a project engineer at Sachs Electric Company in St. Louis, where she was responsible for large-scale industrial and commercial construction projects. In 2010, Amy joined John Deere as a software verification and validation engineer. She was recognized for leading the first team to successfully implement the complete embedded-software development process on a construction product line. Amy’s work led to the successful launch of the Excavators Outside the Americas product line, produced in Tianjin, China. In 2014, Amy was promoted to Senior Systems Engineer, and she now leads a global team to define, develop and implement electrical systems that meet the needs of a diverse customer base. An IEEE Member, Amy serves as the Young Professional representative to the Administrative Committee of the IEEE Instrumentation & Measurement Society. She is also a charter member of the Dubuque Area Section of the Society of Women Engineers; and she has served in several key positions including outreach chair.

Amy has a driving passion for STEM outreach, which began during an undergraduate honors project to adapt interdisciplinary engineering concepts to elementary school science curricula. Since then, she has dedicated herself to creating STEM opportunities for thousands of students in eastern Iowa. Amy was named the 2014 IEEE-USA New Face of Engineering, for her professional growth, and outstanding efforts to improve public welfare. Amy Jones can be reached at [email protected]

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2001 L Street, NW, Suite 700 • Washington, D.C. 20036-4928 +1 202 785 0017 • www.ieeeusa.org www.ieeeusa.org/communications/ebooks

IEEE-USA E-BOOKS

WOMEN IN

ENGINEERING

BOOK 12: IT’S NOT A CAREER PATH – IT’S AN OBSTACLE COURSE! BY BYLISA JILL SCHOEDEL, S. TIETJEN, P.E. J.D.

PANTONE SOLID COATED: RED 185C - BLUE 286C

Copyright © 2016 by IEEE-USA and by Lisa Schoedel, J.D. All rights reserved. Published and Hosted by IEEE-USA. Copying this material in any form is not permitted without prior written approval from IEEE/ IEEE-USA. Final Editing, Review, Production and Publishing by Georgia C. Stelluto, IEEE-USA Publishing Manager Cover design and layout by Spark Design Author Liaison, Preliminary Editing, Helen Horwitz, Well-Chosen Words This IEEE-USA publication is made possible through funding by a special dues assessment of IEEE members residing in the United States.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 The Early Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 My College Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Working Defense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Life Down Under . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Ship Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 My Next Career . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 How I Learned About Life at Gas Stations .

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Project Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 How I Became a Patent Attorney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Yes, Another Job Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 The Devil I Knew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Planning My Next Career . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 My Life Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 About the Author .

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1

INTRODUCTION I love to talk about my career—so when I was asked to write this e-book, I immediately said yes. Everyone has a unique story, but my career path passes through three male-dominated industries: defense, oil and law. In my current job, I combine my experiences in all three. As litigation counsel for the law firm, Jenner & Block LLP—I support the patent group, making use of the electronics engineering skills I developed at McDonnell Douglas; and the environmental group, with the environmental engineering skills I developed at Shell Oil Company. I would like to say that I carefully planned my career, but it would be a lie. Instead, I stumbled upon each job—without much thought, consideration, or planning. I’ve also taken pay cuts along the way to try something new. I have no regrets, however. My career has introduced me to many interesting people, places and experiences. A few years ago, I became active in IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE), because of the networking opportunities. Soon, I discovered that the number of women entering electrical engineering programs has not changed much, since I started my bachelor’s degree program in 1983. How can that be? I do not have the answers, but I want to be part of the change—and I hope that sharing my story will be part of the solution. I am currently Chair of IEEE WIE Chicago Chapter. In this role, I hope to communicate to female engineers in this city the enthusiasm and education that I bring back from the annual IEEE WIE International Leadership Conferences. My story follows, but the lawyer in me feels the need to add a caveat: This e-book is an autobiography; and it is written through my own lens about events that mainly happened in the past, which necessarily leads to an imperfect reflection. Also, I describe both the good, and not-so-good, parts of my career path—but I want the reader to understand that I would not change it, even if I could. I also want to thank the family, friends, teachers and colleagues, who have made my life so interesting. I especially want to thank my husband, Carl Schoedel, for all his support—and for his willingness to follow me, as I moved him twice for my career. Currently, he is Director of Transportation and County Engineer of Kane County, Illinois; a registered Professional Engineer; and a Fellow in the American Society of Civil Engineers. WOMEN IN ENGINEERING BOOK 12

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THE EARLY YEARS

W

hen I was applying to engineering schools in 1982, I interviewed for a local scholarship. The person I met with was surprised that my family had no engineers. Okay, I may be distantly related to the famous aerospace engineer, Wernher Von Braun; but at the time, I did not know who he was, and had never met him. So how did I end up in engineering school? When I look back, two events led to my decision. The first involves my good friend, also named Lisa. She and I were both good at math—but in eighth grade, our teacher started teaching algebra to Lisa—one-on-one. I remained with the rest of our math class, and we reached algebra at the end of the school year. Our school system ended at eighth grade, so we had to take tests to determine the classes to take in the new school district. Lisa tested into Algebra 2, but I did not. Undeterred, I enrolled in Algebra 2, anyway. Since I had missed some of the concepts by jumping ahead, Lisa filled in my knowledge gaps, and I could not have passed without her help. This support was critical; we were able to take calculus as seniors, by taking Algebra 2 as freshmen. The second event involves my queasiness with blood and guts. I could never be a doctor—a career path I had quickly eliminated! In freshman biology class, we dissected a frog. I managed, but when I found out that we would be required to dissect a fetal pig in sophomore year physiology class, I knew I had to change from the expected curriculum. That’s how I ended up in a chemistry class, with a room full of juniors. Once again, I had jumped ahead and struggled to keep up. But this time, a teacher helped me. We would meet after school, and he would explain the troubling concepts to me again. During one of these after-school sessions, he suggested engineering school to me. So, I decided to become a chemical engineer, while a sophomore in high school. It might seem odd that struggles with math and science are why I chose engineering, but it makes sense to me. I love a challenge, and when I struggle to learn a topic, or face a difficult project; I am motivated to conquer it. Looking back, this motivation has defined many of my career decisions.

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The summer after our junior year in high school, our parents sent Lisa and me to a summer program for girls who were considering engineering. While there, I met a women studying electrical engineering. Although I no longer recall exactly what she said, that weekend I changed my career aspirations. Now, I would study electrical engineering. Lessons Learned: • Embrace challenges—even if it means struggling at first. • Be willing to ask for help when you need it. • Deviate from expected paths—if you know that path is not right for you.

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MY COLLEGE YEARS

I

studied electrical engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. I went there for two reasons: First, I was rejected by the University of Virginia; and second, I am from Exeter, Rhode Island.

I didn’t know it at the time, but now I am quite certain that I was the school’s token Rhode Islander that year. Washington University, like many other schools, likes to brag that it has students from all 50 states. (Later, I met the token Rhode Islanders who were a year ahead of me, and a year behind me.) A student from Missouri with my grades and SAT scores likely would have been rejected. In my ignorantly blissful state, I was not discouraged that engineering school was challenging. I made good friends who helped me (including my husband of 27 years); and I willingly took part in the school’s tutoring program, when necessary. I also had a supportive family: my mom sent me decorated cookies that said “Physics is Phun” and “DiffyQ is You.” Besides, I was a solid B student—and having the time of my life. Late in my junior year, I got a call at 7 a.m. Who calls a college student at 7 a.m., unless it’s bad news? Well, it was good news: McDonnell Douglas was offering me a summer internship. Not only did I accept the internship; but about a year later, they hired me as a full-time electronics engineer! For my internship, I worked with a small group of engineers in a former chocolate factory. The building, with its superb air conditioning system, was ideal for St. Louis’ hot summers—and for keeping electronic test equipment cool. There, I was introduced to the work and equipment involved in keeping the avionics—that is, the electronic systems—in F/A-18 fighter jets fully functional. I worked in the ground support equipment group, which designed and built interface equipment for testing the avionics. The interface equipment connects the avionics to a test bench. We developed test routines that caused the test bench to stimulate the avionics in a certain manner. If a test failed, we had to identify which circuit board was causing the failure.

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Lessons Learned: • Rejection is not necessarily a reflection of your abilities. • Acceptance is also not necessarily a reflection of your abilities. • Fully embrace any benefits you receive because you happen to be in the

right place, at the right time.

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WORKING DEFENSE

W boards.

hen I started working full time at McDonnell Douglas, I was assigned to a different F/A-18 ground support equipment group than during my internship. This group was much larger, and it focused on circuit

This group developed test flow charts that another group, which I later joined, used to design the test routines and interface equipment. To perform this task, we analyzed circuit schematics and data books, to determine how the circuit board worked. Yes, it was before the Internet, and almost everything was on paper. We had access to shared terminals; but most of the time, we sat at our desks—deep in thought and hand-drawing flow charts. In this group, I first recognized how different I was. At the time, the dress code for women was skirts and nylons; and one day, I wore a pair of red heels. These were not your night-on-the-town kind of heels—but plain, oneinch work heels that happened to be red. But after that day, I never wore them to work again, because of the hooting and hollering I received. Even so, I was lucky. A month after I started working full time, I became engaged to my husband. As a result, fewer inappropriate comments were directed at me. However, my single, female co-workers had a much harder time. At the time, no one complained about these improper comments—it was just part of the culture. Yet, another manager complained to my manager when he overheard me say the word “sh*t” to a friend. My manager told me about the complaint, and told me not to worry, but to watch what I said. Can you believe it? At one point, I discovered that the guys in my group were routing Playboy to each other through interoffice envelopes. I reacted by demanding to be added to the mailing list. As Sheryl Sandberg would say, I was “just one of the guys.” I did not complain about the pictures of naked women hidden in the data books; instead, I taped a picture to my cubicle wall of the speed skater Eric Heiden wearing shorts, and in the starting position. Despite this work atmosphere, I made good friends; and I learned from many smart engineers about testing circuit operation.

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From there, I followed a couple of my co-workers, including Laurie, the other female electronics engineer in my group, to the lab that used our test flow charts. Here, we designed the interface equipment used to test circuit boards. This position was my first job working in a team. We had to coordinate our designs for testing about 10 circuit boards on a single piece of interface equipment. Sometimes, we worked second and third shifts, because we had a limited number of test benches. Luckily, my college apartment twin bed was in our night-simulating basement; and I had no trouble sleeping from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. I loved the hands-on work, and I discovered that I was a very efficient programmer. This juncture was during the early 1990s, a time of massive layoffs in the defense industry. The first round was good—it got rid of some dead weight. But the second round hurt; I watched some good friends, all talented engineers, lose their jobs. The third round was a disaster. This one depended on whether a contract would be awarded during the holiday shutdown. And some employees had received letters warning them not to overextend themselves, as they would be laid off, if McDonnell Douglas lost the contract. The company did lose; and the unthinkable happened after the shutdown ended, and people returned to work. Some who had received letters were relieved to find they still had jobs; but others who thought they were safe, received pink slips. You can imagine how this event shook morale. Lessons Learned: • It’s unlikely that you will experience workplace harassment today; but if it

happens, know what your company’s policies are, and talk to the appropriate person.

• Good employees do get laid off. • Try to work in a variety of environments, such as office, lab, or field to

determine whether you have a preference.

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LIFE DOWN UNDER

S

oon thereafter, I found myself in a new lab, testing avionics again. This lab supported foreign purchasers of F/A-18s, such as Australia, Spain and Kuwait. McDonnell Douglas had a support contract with British Aerospace Australia (BAeA) and the Royal Australian Airforce (RAAF), for the three months before, and the three months after, the 1991 holiday shutdown. A colleague had been scheduled to go to Australia from January through April 1992, as part of this contract. But as 1991 ended, he left McDonnell Douglas for another company. Not many people could go to Australia for three months with only a month’s notice, but I had just finished my Master’s, had a supportive husband, and no one else was willing to go. So, I went. Nothing has made a bigger impact on my career than my three months Down Under! I volunteered because I love to travel, and it sounded like an adventure. But I was not the most qualified person to provide BAeA technical assistance, as the interface equipment had been designed and built by McDonnell Douglas, before I had joined this group. I slept reasonably well on the long flight to Sydney, continuing on to Adelaide, a beautiful city on the south-central coast. The BAeA representative met me at the airport, showed me my car, and led me to my apartment, so that I would stay on the “wrong” side of the road. In this pre-Internet time, the BAeA representative faxed my co-workers that he had picked up a package of “bubbles and cheer,” a reference to my not being jet lagged when he met me. “Bubbles” was my nickname for the remainder of my time in this group. In Adelaide, I worked the first two months of the assignment in a BAeA laboratory, with a very able technician who made up for my lack of knowledge on this particular test bench. Between the two of us, we worked out the bugs in the interface equipment BAeA was building. While there, I was more than willing to work as the Aussies did. That meant we stopped for tea at 10 a.m.; and on Friday, we left work at 1 p.m. Friday was known as POETS day—“piss-off early, tomorrow’s Saturday.” Banks and many stores were closed on evenings and weekends, so Australian workers used Friday afternoon to handle personal errands.

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Because I had followed the local customs, my BAeA co-workers got to know me over tea, and even told me they preferred my support over the help from the engineer who had preceded me. He was highly qualified and extremely knowledgeable about both the test bench and the interface equipment, but they didn’t like working with him as much—because he skipped breaks, and worked a full day on Fridays! During this time, I learned to socialize on my own. Although I had made friends, I generally went to restaurants, parks, beaches, and the movies by myself. I was not going to miss the opportunity to see and enjoy Australia because I was there alone! After Adelaide, I went to Raymond Terrace, near the Royal Australian Air Force Base in Williamtown, on the southeast coast. I spent this last month training RAAF personnel on how to use the equipment. Like the BAeA personnel, the RAAF people treated me extremely well, despite the fact Australian women typically held traditional female roles of teacher, nurse and secretary, if they worked at all. In my colleagues’ minds, it was okay for an American woman to be an engineer; they just didn’t want their own women to work in this role! Lessons Learned: • If you are asked to take an international assignment, accept if you possi-

bly can. You’ll be exposed to different cultures, forcing you to re-evaluate preconceived notions.

• If you travel to another country for work, embrace that country’s work

habits, if possible. It’s a sign of respect, and it fosters better work relationships.

• Don’t turn down an opportunity, just because you are not the most

qualified.

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SHIP LIFE

R

eturning to my old role in St. Louis was hard. I had just spent three months working independently in the field, and it was difficult to adjust to constant management oversight. My displeasure grew after another field assignment, to verify a new test bench installation on the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier that had recently docked at the Alameda Naval Air Station (now closed) near Oakland, California. I worked on the ship for a week and learned some lessons. First, I learned that I could hold my bladder. When I first boarded the ship, the Navy guide escorted me on a tour. Eventually, he decided to show me where the women’s head (bathroom) was; and after taking me from floor to floor for a while, he finally found it. At the time, the women’s head was being used for drug testing—and the line of men went out the door. I knew I would never find it again; so for a week, I used the bathroom in my hotel room before and after my work day—and at McDonald’s at lunch time. Second, I learned that the wiring for aircraft carrier power is in the ceiling. My co-worker had given me installation drawings for a building. After someone identified the AC and DC power terminals for me, I climbed onto a piece of equipment—and barely able to reach the ceiling, I connected the wires to the terminals. When we turned on the power, and the test bench powered up without any problems, I was so relieved! I returned to my hotel that evening with perspiration stains on my silk shirt (yes, a bad wardrobe selection!) and celebrated. The rest of the verification was routine; once again, I had proved I could work under pressure—and without oversight. After I returned to St. Louis, it was time to move on and I began a job search. In the meantime, I also moved back to my original work group. They had started a project to incorporate artificial intelligence into testing routines, so at least I had a new challenge. I also reunited with my friends, including Laurie. On my last day, I walked out of the building with her, tears in my eyes. I would miss her and some of the others, but I was excited about doing something totally different in a new city.

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Lessons Learned: • Do not turn down an opportunity to try something new. • Evaluate what you like and dislike about your job, and make adjustments,

if necessary.

• Good friends at work are important.

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MY NEXT CAREER

M

cDonnell Douglas encouraged all its engineers to get a master’s degree. So like many of my co-workers, I enrolled in the Master’s of Electrical Engineering program at Washington University. My first class was about transistor theory at the electron level, and I quickly realized there was no way I could complete this degree, if I had to take classes like that one. I switched majors to a new program called “Engineering and Policy,” which explored the impact of engineering on the world, and included many interdisciplinary classes. When my advisor suggested that I take a law class, I enrolled in one covering the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)—the law for managing hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste. A typical law class has a single final exam, but this one included a midterm as well, because the RCRA class was cross-listed with the engineering department. After I bombed the midterm, I asked the professor why I had done so poorly. She told me that I had answered the questions like an engineer! During the exam, I’d read the fact pattern and answered the question with a conclusion—for example, guilty or innocent. But for law school exams, the correct answer is an evaluation of all the issues, and how the issue will impact the outcome; with the conclusion cushioned with such phrasing as, “It is likely that a court will find the defendant guilty.” With this new understanding, not only did I ace the final, but also took a class covering the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as the Superfund Act, and I wrote my Master’s thesis on waste reduction. As a result, I focused on environmental engineering positions, when I decided to search for a new job and leave McDonnell Douglas. Also, as part of my search, I left my resume with the Washington University career center. Shell Oil Company had contacted the university about an opening for a Health, Safety and Environmental (HS&E) Analyst in the Shell St. Louis office. I interviewed with the engineering manager and the HS&E Representative whom I would support. The HS&E Representative audited all the gasoline stations in a territory to ensure they were complying with the relevant HS&E regulations.

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After the interview, the engineering manager asked me if I would be interested in an HS&E Representative position in Indianapolis, instead of the analyst position in St. Louis. My husband and I had already been discussing a move, and Indianapolis had made our short list. So after I trained in St. Louis, we moved to Indianapolis. Lessons Learned: • Learn from your mistakes and failures. • Use your university’s career services office when searching for a job. • Be open to a completely different job, one where you may have no expe-

rience at all.

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HOW I LEARNED ABOUT LIFE AT GAS STATIONS

M

y new job required me to personally visit and audit every Shell gasoline station in Indiana and Kentucky, at least twice a year. As a result, I now know much more about gas stations than most drivers—who probably never think about where the gasoline is coming from. I opened dispensers and reviewed gasoline records for signs of leakage, verified compliance with OSHA requirements, looked for expired foods on grocery shelves, checked for faulty wiring, counseled station operators on regulations, and called in contractors, as needed. It was the perfect job for me: I loved being in the field.

I also enjoyed working with such a diverse slice of life. The station operators ranged from multi-millionaire, very sophisticated businessmen to uneducated, but highly qualified, auto repair technicians. The stations were located everywhere—in safe and unsafe areas. My big-city counterparts probably had more stories, but I did experience some scary moments. In the process, I also learned a lot about people. One poorly educated station owner did not recognize the word “Indianapolis,” nor did he understand how the gasoline dispensers rolled over from 99999 to 100000. As a result, I had to modify my counseling techniques from those I used at the corporate-owned stations. Have you heard the saying, “Know your audience”? At the same time, this man provided for his family, was a pillar of the community, and was street smart. He taught me not to judge others—and to appreciate how fortunate I was. I also remember those times when I was the only white person in the area— either at the station, or a nearby restaurant for lunch. I wonder how many other Caucasians have experienced this sensation. I would be going about my job, or waiting for my food—and notice others looking at me. As a female engineer, I was comfortable being the only woman, but this experience was something new. I felt safe, but extremely self-conscious. It gave me insight into what it’s like to feel different, whether because of skin color, a disability, or any other reason. Speaking of safety: After I audited a station in Kentucky, and had to report some problems to the territory manager, he asked, “What were you doing

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there by yourself?” This 6’4”, 350-pound man had been assaulted twice at the station. The first time, someone punched him as he got out of his car; and another time, he was robbed at knifepoint. I had been to the station several times, always without incident. It never occurred to me that I should be concerned for my safety, since the station was in a white neighborhood. So the station was called, “The OK Corral,” and it got that name after a gun fight there. When I met the owner, he insisted on showing me his scars, even after I said I didn’t want to see them. Lifting his shirt, he pointed to the scar on his belly, where the bullet had entered; and then to the scar on his back, where it had exited. The point of these stories is how this job exposed me to all walks of life, and made me more sensitive to people whose experiences are much different from mine. I also learned the importance of communication, including varying your communication style, as needed for the situation; and about building trusting relationships over time. For example, the OK Corral station owner initially didn’t want me to audit his station; but over time, I earned his trust, and he appreciated my counseling. As the HS&E Representative, I was also responsible for initial emergency response activities at Shell stations. Luckily, I only needed to use those skills once. Of course, it was night when I got the call about a problem at one of the stations. The fire department had been called, after a report of vapors from a nearby sewer. While going to the station, I called contractors and the district engineer. This situation was another one, where communication was critical. With all the right people on site, we were able to safely secure the station; identify the source of the problem; take initial steps to prevent further release; and formulate a plan to be implemented, once daylight arrived. These actions were all taken in a calm and thoughtful—but urgent—manner. Lessons Learned: • Adjust your communication style, according to the situation. • Always be aware of your surroundings, and act in a corresponding

manner.

• Never pre-judge people because of their skin color, their education level,

or where they work.

• Even in the most stressful situations, act calmly. WOMEN IN ENGINEERING BOOK 12

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT

W

hen I took the job with Shell, I knew my time in Indianapolis would be limited, because the company liked to move its people around. Eventually, company executives asked me to accept a short-term assignment in Chicago, that would position me for the next environmental engineering opening. I would be the assistant to the Regional Environmental Manager, and I would oversee the HS&E Representatives for the region, plan meetings, and also handle various administrative duties. This match was not a good one for my skills, but I trusted and respected the manager, so I accepted. Sure enough, an environmental engineering job opened up, about six months later. I started as the environmental engineer for Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee, in charge of all gasoline station-related projects, after the initial response. In this role, I was responsible for ensuring that each of the projects complied with the state, and in some cases local, environmental regulations. These responsibilities meant I was basically a project manager— meeting quarterly with environmental consultants, managing the budget and ensuring that the projects met the associated agency’s requirements. With four state agencies and several local agencies, each with its own environmental regulations, my plate was full. Once again, good communication and relationship building were key to working effectively with others. At the time, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management was working with the regulated community to develop risk-based cleanup standards that recognized some contaminants pose a greater threat to health and the environment than others. I went to Indianapolis every few weeks for meetings with agency personnel, and other stakeholders, as we were called. Before Indiana made any regulatory changes, I was reassigned to a new territory, but I became recognized as a trusted partner in this process. When a new Regional Environmental Manager arrived in Chicago, she decided to change territory assignments, and asked each of the environmental engineers for their preferences. I knew most of them were requesting Illinois, so they would not have to travel; but since I enjoy it, I picked a state that had several technical challenges. New territories were announced, and I was surprised to learn that I’d been assigned to Illinois. When I asked why, she told me I was a very

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detail-oriented person; and the territory needed that kind of management, because Shell’s biggest competitor had just been fined for noncompliance. Until that moment, I hadn’t known I possessed this quality! Now in my 30s, no one had ever said to me before, nor did I recognize it in myself. Then, I learned about corporate culture. At about the time I decided to go to law school to become an environmental attorney for Shell, the company merged with Texaco in the United States. It was also at the same time that BP had bought Amoco, and Exxon purchased Mobil; and I had learned that BP and Exxon had laid down the new rules—warning that if the Amoco and Mobil people didn’t like them, they should leave. The Shell/Texaco merger was very different. Both companies’ managements tried hard to cooperate, but these efforts sometimes resulted in poor decisions that took too long to make. The culture clash was worse. The Texaco folks thought the Shell folks were undisciplined; we thought we were empowered, and the Texaco folks were micromanaged! For instance, my Texaco counterparts had consultants who managed their environmental consultants. When I asked what they did, they told me they updated spreadsheets. After the merger, I picked up Minnesota from a former Texaco engineer—and the first thing I did was fire the consultant who managed the consultant who did the work. I stayed about two years at the merged Shell/Texaco company. Many people left sooner, but I thought time would make things better. I was also going to law school at night, so I was not seeking a change. One evening, I met the dean of my law school, and introduced myself as an environmental engineer. She responded, “What a shame. If you were an electrical engineer, I could get you a job right now.” When I explained that I actually was an electrical engineer, the dean arranged for me to meet a professor who taught intellectual property courses, and she put me in touch with several former students who were practicing patent law. I sent out six resumes, had four interviews, and I received two offers. Within two months of talking to the dean, I was working at a patent law firm. But upon graduating, I planned to switch back to environmental law.

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Lessons Learned: • You probably don’t know as much about yourself as you think you do, so

ask others for feedback.

• Corporate culture is a reality. If you don’t like your job, maybe you are at

the wrong company.

• Be open to other people’s suggestions. • Sometimes, you need to take a step backwards, or sideways, before

moving forward in your career.

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HOW I BECAME A PATENT ATTORNEY I loved patent law almost immediately! As a law clerk, I mainly drafted patent applications and responded to Office Actions, part of the process for obtaining a patent. These two tasks require two different writing styles. Writing a patent application is more akin to technical writing, and it requires a very specific style. An Office Action is the correspondence from a patent examiner explaining why the inventions claimed in the patent application are not patentable—usually citing one or more references that describe the inventions. Responding to an Office Action demands persuasive writing, as well as technical analysis and strategy. You can also confer with the patent examiner to discuss your strategy, so communication skills are also critical in this job. I had some early success responding to Office Actions. After reviewing my first six responses, all six of the patent examiners agreed with my arguments and allowed the six patent applications. Of course, I wasn’t always successful on the first response, but I generally succeeded for these reasons: • I was good at the Sesame Street game of “One of These Things Is Not

Like the Others”—where there are four items—such as carrot, lettuce, apple and pepper; and the correct answer is apple, because it is a fruit, and doesn’t belong with three vegetables. I could quickly recognize how the claimed inventions differed from the references the examiner had cited.

• During my years at Shell, I had developed a comfort level talking to gov-

ernment employees that was also helpful when speaking with patent examiners. I recognized that because patent examiners are under tremendous time pressures, their Office Actions can be written poorly, or their analysis questionable. In such instances, I talked with the examiner to get a better understanding of the rejection, and learn whether they agreed with my proposed arguments.

• Finally, I had developed a very direct, crisp writing style, while at Shell.

When you know that every word you write may someday be reviewed by an attorney, you want to make sure you write so that your words will be clearly understood years later. As a result, I enjoy word choice, ensuring I use the right word, and also that I’ve removed any unnecessary words from each sentence.

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When I graduated from law school in 2003, I decided to remain in patent law —despite my initial plans to return to environmental law. My main reason, which may surprise some, is that patent law is never dull. Every invention is different, and the laws are constantly evolving. If I had become an environmental attorney for Shell as I had planned, my work may have become repetitive and tiresome. My specialty was inventions that involve circuits. At times, it felt like my McDonnell Douglas days, sitting at my desk figuring out how a circuit worked. A few times, I told inventors that they were missing a component; for instance, “I think you need an inverter here to make the circuit work.” They were always impressed. Over time, I also became very knowledgeable about semiconductor manufacturing and device inventions. So, years after I stopped pursuing a Master’s in electrical engineering, I became experienced at explaining electron flow through transistors! And with the Internet, I could quickly learn new technologies. My favorite part of drafting a patent application was the first step: learning about the invention. As a patent attorney, I could also work on patent litigation projects. Patent litigation requires a lot of writing, but there are many other tasks: legal research, reviewing documents, depositions, working with experts, and going to court. Litigation is not for everyone, but I enjoy the crazy lifestyle it sometimes produces. As a first-year associate, I traveled to New York almost every week from May through September for depositions. I stayed at the same hotel every trip, and when I would arrive on Sunday night, the desk manager would greet me with, “Welcome home, Lisa.” The days were long, but I learned a great deal about the case and patent law, during those trips. Lessons Learned: • Communication skills, both verbal and written, are critical in many posi-

tions. Take classes, and practice as much as you can.

• Know your audience. • As circumstances change, change your career goals, too.

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YES, ANOTHER JOB CHANGE

N

ot every lawsuit requires a hectic work schedule, but I was still drafting and prosecuting patent applications, in addition to handling litigation cases. After a few years of juggling both, I decided I wanted to work for a corporation, instead of a law firm. All in-house counsel jobs aren’t the same, but they typically have more normal work hours than law firms.

After I joined NAVTEQ, a digital mapping company, most of my work days now ended around 5 p.m., with most weekends off. At first, I filled the extra time with sleep, reading and watching the television shows that everyone was talking about (and I had missed!) such as American Idol. Soon, that was not enough, so I volunteered at a local homeless shelter. I also joined the City of Geneva, Illinois, Mental Health Board, which decides how to apportion taxpayer funding to local organizations that help people cope with mental illness, addiction and developmental disabilities. At NAVTEQ, I mainly drafted and prosecuted patent applications, but when you’re in-house counsel, you also handle other corporate essentials. One of them was training employees about NAVTEQ’s invention program. To conduct these training classes, I traveled to Germany and Mexico, as well as to Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. While at Shell, the company had sent me to a presentation skills workshop, and I am comfortable speaking before an audience. Okay, I’m always nervous before I start, but once I get going, I’m in a zone. Before a presentation, I always run a mental story line, imagining how the audience will react. After all, I want to make sure the presentation is informative and entertaining, so the audience will want to listen. One of NAVTEQ’s German employees told me he had never seen such an entertaining patent presentation before! At NAVTEQ, I also had the opportunity to argue two appeals before a patent board of three administrative law judges at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Washington, D.C. The first time, I couldn’t have been any more ill—but I was still able to stand. What had started as a cold, turned into bronchitis and pink eye, by the time I arrived in Washington. I looked and felt horrible, was taking over-the-counter cold medication, and practicing yoga breathing to calm my nerves. During the hearing, one of the judges peppered me with questions throughout my argument. I felt that I had done a good job answering his questions,

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and then returning to the list of points I was trying to make in the allotted time. When it ended, I couldn’t predict the result, but understood what the board’s argument would be if I’d lost. But I won! The patent examiner was overruled, and the patent was granted. What a terrific feeling! My second oral argument wasn’t as successful, although I was healthy and feeling confident, because I’d already argued successfully before the patent board. At the beginning of my presentation, I was asked one question, but after that I was not interrupted again. Basically, I gave a speech—not an argument. When I received the decision, the panel had agreed with me that the patent examiner’s rejection was wrong, and then found the patent claims could not be patented for an entirely different reason! I had won the battle, but not the war. Clearly, the patent board had made this decision before my argument, and nothing I said could change it, because I had focused on the patent examiner’s rejection. With that loss, I learned something new about patent law—but I wish the examiner had taught me that first. Soon after I joined NAVTEQ, Nokia—a multinational communications corporation—bought the company. For a while, nothing changed, and I had minimal contact with the new owners. Then, in 2011, Nokia made the list of the ten companies most likely to go out of business. After enduring the layoffs at McDonnell Douglas and the Shell/Texaco merger, my survival instincts went into gear, and I started exploring my options. While I was networking, a friend from my old law firm called. My old firm wanted me back. After talking it over with my husband, we decided it was the devil I knew—I would be returning to a situation where I knew the players and the politics. Besides, I still had many friends there, and I had missed the craziness of litigation. Lessons Learned: • If you have time in your schedule, use it to help others. • If you have to make a presentation, make it entertaining, even if the topic

is dull.

• Maintain your network, because you never know who will help you in

the future.

• Always leave a job on good terms. WOMEN IN ENGINEERING BOOK 12

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THE DEVIL I KNEW

B

ack at the patent law firm, someone suggested that I join IEEE and network with the Women in Engineering (WIE) group. I had been president of the IEEE Student Chapter at Washington University, in my senior year, but I don’t recall joining IEEE after graduation. Now that I had joined, I asked about WIE activities in Chicago—and before I knew it, I was having lunch with the WIE Chair of the Chicago Chapter. She asked me to run for her position, but I declined; the Mental Health Board meetings were the same night as the IEEE Chicago Section Executive Committee meetings, and I was already struggling to attend those, given the demands of litigation.

However, I did promise to give a patent presentation at a future WIE meeting. I convinced another patent attorney at the firm to join me giving the presentation. I had never given a presentation with another person, so I was unsure how it would work out. But Sarah is brilliant, and together, we were magical. I was the funny side-kick to Sarah’s careful explanation of patent law. At the end of the evening, several audience members told us we should give more presentations together. Eventually, we would. Soon after that, I attended the first annual IEEE WIE International Leadership Conference in San Francisco, and a lightbulb went on in my head. How did I get to be in my late 40s, without realizing that the number of women entering electrical engineering has not changed much, since I entered engineering school in the 1980s? (In my defense, one of my nieces has a Master’s in nuclear engineering, while another has a Ph.D. in astrophysics.) During this conference, I learned more about myself than I could have realized from a year of therapy! When I returned to Chicago, I was a different person. I was motivated to be part of the change. First, I discussed what I’d learned with the other female attorneys at my law firm. While female engineering students are still a minority, female law students are not. But the same thing happens during their careers: Women don’t rise to the ranks of upper management—equity partnership, in law firm jargon—at the same rate as men. As a result, much of my new-found knowledge applied to both female engineers and female attorneys. This new awareness included: find a sponsor, in addition to your mentors; don’t fear failure; and sell yourself.

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Just before the conference, I had argued at a Markman hearing, which is one of the most important court hearings in a patent infringement case. To test one of the observations I’d heard at the conference, I asked my co-workers whether they knew of my accomplishment. Surprisingly, no one outside our litigation team and my close friends did. I had assumed that everyone knew—just as I always knew, who in the firm had argued at Markman hearings, in other cases. The difference was what I did the day after the Markman hearing. Upon returning to my office, I started working on whatever was next on my “to do” list. This list, however, didn’t include walking around the office to tell my war story, or planning a celebratory lunch. It did not include selling myself. Instead, I was motivated to submit my own panel discussion for the next IEEE WIE Leadership Conference. While there’d been a session on pursuing a business career path, there wasn’t one on pursuing a patent career path. Since women tend to have better communication skills, it seemed important to introduce the patent career path to female engineers, who were unaware of this option. I was pleased when my panel idea was accepted, but learned that two of my panelists would be women who had submitted similar panel ideas. As a result, only two panelists would be my choice: Laurie, from my McDonnell Douglas days; and Sarah, my co-presenter at the Chicago WIE meeting. The other two panelists were another patent attorney and a Canadian patent agent. During several conference calls, we five decided how to meld all three panel submissions and the group’s diverse knowledge base. As a result, I ultimately moderated a panel that discussed intellectual property, with an emphasis on who should consider an intellectual property career. Intellectual property law includes patent law, but also trademarks, trade secrets and copyright law—each of which has its own set of laws. As a result, the panel focus was broader than I had proposed. The panel couldn’t have done better—and much of the credit goes to such a diverse group of female intellectual property professionals on the panel. I have to thank the organizers for making the panel stronger.

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Lessons Learned: • Join professional organizations and participate; you’ll create a network

that can give you a broader perspective.

• Working in a diverse group creates a better product. • Learn about gender differences, and evaluate whether you’re holding

yourself back.

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PLANNING MY NEXT CAREER

U

pon returning from the IEEE WIE Leadership conference in San Jose, I faced the ultimate career challenge for almost any attorney. That fall, the firm’s partnership would vote on whether to make me an equity partner. I had a sponsor, and I was campaigning; but I’d made an enemy who would be difficult to overcome. He was an equity partner with whom I’d worked on a pitch to a prospective client. Before making the pitch, we had agreed that we would split the origination credit 50/50, if we were successful. As an owner of a law firm, an equity partner’s pay is a portion of the firm’s profits—and the size of the portion is based on such factors as origination credit, which is how much business the partner brought into the firm that year. We were successful, and we brought a new client into the firm. However, before we received the first project, he asked me for a higher percentage of the origination credit. I refused, and from that point on, his goal was to make me miserable. Several other partners, including my sponsor, knew what was going on—and they did their best to right the wrong. In the meantime, I thought about what I would do, if the vote didn’t go my way. I had enjoyed my work since my return, but I had decided it was time to make my next career change, if I got a “no” vote. I was unsure exactly what the position would be, but it would be something to help women in engineering. So when I got the bad news, I resigned on the spot, although I worked until the end of the year to support my sponsor. Lessons Learned: • Sometimes, even with tremendous support, you cannot overcome politics

at work.

• Don’t take rejection as a failure. Think of it as an opportunity to find a

better situation.

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MY LIFE TODAY

M

y first month off from work was fabulous! I didn’t have to commute in Chicago’s winter weather, and I was learning how to cook vegetarian meals. I was exercising daily, including taking a Zumba class at the local park district. I was rested, well read, and my “to do” list was shrinking. I had started my job search, but discovered that things had changed since the last time I had actually applied for a job. Now, computer programs could easily screen out my resumé, due to my lack of experience in education, human resources, or nonprofit organizations. I wasn’t discouraged, as I knew my network would eventually come through, but I was getting bored and restless.

Then, my former boss at NAVTEQ emailed me, suggesting that I apply for an opening at Nokia. (Yes, the company had survived the rumored bankruptcy of a few years earlier!) The job was in the licensing group, where they were seeking someone with expertise in intellectual property. The position interested me, because I would be more involved in the business operations, and honing a skill I had used occasionally throughout my patent career. I also knew I’d have time to pursue volunteer opportunities to help promote women in engineering. I applied, but a week later a friend at a general practice firm asked me how “retirement” was going. When I told him I’d recently applied for an IP job, he replied, “If you’re going back to IP, I have the perfect job for you.” And he did. I now practice law at a general-practice firm where I support both the patent and the environmental groups. It’s as if my entire career was leading to this point. But more importantly, this firm fully supports my activities as Chair of the WIE Chicago Chapter. In this role, I hope to bring the same level of enthusiasm and education to female electrical engineers, that I receive when I attend the IEEE WIE Leadership Conferences.

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Lessons Learned: • If you can afford to take a sabbatical, do it. You’ll have the chance to

recharge and regroup.

• Network. I knew my network would eventually get me a new job; I just

didn’t expect it to work out as it did.

• Surround yourself with supportive people. I couldn’t have accomplished

as much as I did without my husband, family, friends and co-workers.

• There’s no such thing as a career path; it’s more of an obstacle course!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

L

isa Schoedel is Litigation Counsel with Jenner & Block LLP in Chicago. She supports the firm’s patent and environmental groups. Her litigation experience covers a wide range of technologies, including electronic circuits, computer software, telecommunications and mechanical products. Her background includes drafting and prosecuting patent applications in the areas of circuits, sensors, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), semiconductor processing, telecommunications, speech recognition, software, business methods, and mechanical devices. Prior to joining Jenner & Block, Schoedel was a patent attorney at McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP, and patent counsel for NAVTEQ North America, LLP. She also worked as an environmental engineer for Shell Oil Company, and as an electronics engineer for McDonnell Douglas Corporation (now Boeing). She has a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago; and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Engineering and Policy, both from Washington University in St. Louis. She is admitted to the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Court of Appeals of the Federal Circuit, and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Schoedel is a Barrister in the Chicago Inn of Court. She is an IEEE Senior Member, and Chair of IEEE Women in Engineering Chicago Chapter. Lisa Schoedel can be reached at [email protected]

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